Only 17% of Israelis, 21% of Palestinians believe peaceful coexistence is possible, poll finds

A Pew Research Center poll reveals deep pessimism among Israelis and Palestinians, with only 17% of Israelis and 21% of Palestinians believing peaceful coexistence between Israel and an independent Palestinian state is possible. Majorities on both sides reject the possibility, citing land disputes, violence, and distrust, though they differ on key obstacles: Israelis emphasize security concerns, while Palestinians point to settlements and restrictions. This marks the first time since 2013 that a majority of Israelis have explicitly rejected coexistence.

A new Pew Research Center poll reveals deep pessimism on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: only 17% of Israelis and 21% of Palestinians believe peaceful coexistence between Israel and an independent Palestinian state is possible. A majority of Israelis (56%) and 68% of Palestinians in the West Bank and east Jerusalem say it is not. This marks the first time since Pew began asking the question in 2013 that a majority of Israelis have explicitly rejected the possibility. The share of Israelis saying coexistence is possible was statistically unchanged from 2025, which had been the lowest level of optimism recorded. Among Jewish Israelis, 16% said coexistence was possible and 64% said it was not. Among Arab Israelis, 23% said it was possible and 26% said it was not, but nearly half (46%) declined to give a substantive answer. Overall, one-fifth of Israeli respondents did not answer the coexistence question, double the share in 2025. Respondents who rejected coexistence on both sides cited land disputes, decades of violence, and deep distrust. However, the obstacles they identified differed: Israeli respondents raised security concerns, including fears that a Palestinian state could become hostile or seek Israel's destruction. Palestinian respondents cited Israeli control over territory, settlements, checkpoints, and movement restrictions. The survey of 1,001 Israeli adults and 1,038 Palestinians in the West Bank and east Jerusalem was conducted face-to-face from March to May 2026, during the Iran war. The Gaza Strip was excluded due to security conditions. The report also notes other recent surveys: an INSS poll found 46% of West Bank Palestinians said Israel did not have a right to exist, while a Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research poll found support for a two-state formula rose when respondents were presented with a state based on the 1967 lines.