Poll: Jewish Israelis want Oct. 7 commission of inquiry, ultra-Orthodox conscription

A September 2026 Israel Democracy Institute poll shows 71% of Jewish Israelis support a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, and 72% want legislation to conscript ultra-Orthodox Haredim. The incumbent government has refused both. The poll also covers views on Netanyahu's alleged warnings, international relations, settler violence, and Palestinian negotiations.

A clear majority of Jewish Israelis want a state commission of inquiry into the failings surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion, as well as legislation to conscript the ultra-Orthodox community into the army, according to a poll published Wednesday. In its September 2026 Israeli Voice Index, the Israel Democracy Institute found that 71 percent support the next government setting up a top-tier panel to probe the events surrounding Oct. 7, while 72% want a bill to equally draft members of the Haredi community. So far, the incumbent government has steadfastly refused to take either course of action. Israel is scheduled to hold an election on October 27. Among Arab Israelis, 52% said they want a commission of inquiry. No figure was given for their views on an egalitarian conscription law. In a related issue, the poll sampled opinions on a recent spate of media reports suggesting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was warned by Arab states that Hamas was planning some form of attack, but that he did not pass on the information or take action. Nearly half (46%) of Israelis think the reports are not credible, while a slightly smaller percentage (43%) said they are, and the remainder did not know. In addition, almost two-thirds (63%) felt the timing of the reports, published so close to the coming election, is an attempt to influence the results, while 27% believe the reports were only released now because that was when the information became available. Regarding international relations, the poll found that most Israelis see only the US (87%) and Germany (55%) as friendly to Israel. The UK has slid in public opinion, with 56% saying they feel it is hostile. Amid sanctions on Israeli settlements, 63% of respondents said Israel should respond harshly. The poll also found that the majority of Jews (58.5%) and most Arabs (53%) support determined action against attacks by extremist settler groups on Palestinians. While just 25% of Jews said they back negotiations with the Palestinians, 58% of Arab Israelis were in favor. Overall, optimism about the country's democratic future had increased to 45.5%, up 9.5 percentage points since the previous month's survey.