Israelis war-weary but most oppose Iran ceasefire, poll suggests

Coverage Comparison

A week into the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, a complex picture of public sentiment is emerging from Israeli polling and on-the-ground reporting. While Israelis are relieved by the halt in hostilities, surveys and interviews suggest a profound unease about the future and significant opposition to the current truce.

Reports from the BBC and the Jerusalem Post, drawing on new polling by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, indicate that two-thirds of Israelis oppose the current tentative ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. According to the Jerusalem Post, 61% of Israelis oppose the deal, and 76% believe negotiations now underway will not achieve the war's stated objectives. The same reports suggest that three-quarters of Israelis expect fighting with Iran to resume within the next year.

The coverage also highlights the human cost of the conflict. The BBC reported that an Iranian missile evaded Israel's air defenses and struck a residential building in Tel Aviv, killing 32-year-old carer Mary Anne Velasquez de Vera from the Philippines. This was the first reported fatality in Israel during the war, a claim that has not been independently verified by other outlets.

Key Claims

• War-weariness and opposition to ceasefire: Polling by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, as reported by both the BBC and the Jerusalem Post, shows that a majority of Israelis (around two-thirds) oppose the current ceasefire, while 61% oppose the deal specifically. This sentiment is coupled with a widespread expectation (76%) that negotiations will not achieve the war's stated goals.

• Expected resumption of fighting: Three-quarters of Israelis expect fighting with Iran to resume within the next year, according to the same polling.

• Human impact: The BBC reported the death of Mary Anne Velasquez de Vera, a 32-year-old carer from the Philippines, killed by an Iranian missile in Tel Aviv. This claim has only appeared in one outlet so far.

• Military campaign goals: The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel and the US struck Iran with the goal of "complete victory and regime change," a goal attributed to the leadership of both countries.

• Continued threats: The Jerusalem Post also reported that ballistic missile attacks have slowed but remain a part of daily life, and that Yemen's Houthis have entered the war, while Iran's siege of the Strait of Hormuz is ongoing. These claims are based on a single source.

Perspectives

The reports from both the BBC and the Jerusalem Post capture a range of Israeli views, from exhaustion and frustration to a guarded optimism about the war's potential to reshape the region.

Liat Zvi, a Tel Aviv resident whose apartment was damaged by an Iranian missile, told the BBC: "It's depressing… we've been in war for two and a half years and this just feels like another round." She expressed difficulty in looking ahead, saying "It's too much for me to look ahead - it's really hard."

The Jerusalem Post quoted Yulia Medovoy Edelshtain, a new immigrant to Israel, who views the war as part of a larger regional transformation. She told the Post that "only a complete dismantling of [Iran's] capabilities would usher in a safer future," and expressed distrust of the Iranian leadership, saying a ceasefire could not be trusted.

Another Jerusalem resident, Arnie Draiman, described the war as felt most in the disruption of daily life, according to the Post.

The BBC also noted that a third of poll respondents chose "despair" to describe their current emotion, followed by "confusion" and "anger," with "hope" ranking fourth.

A week into the ceasefire, Israelis are returning to cafes and beaches, but the underlying anxiety is palpable. As one parent wrote in a Facebook group cited by the Jerusalem Post, "I'm trying to do as much as I can now before the war starts up again."