Israeli Opinion on Nuclear Policy

Under what conditions would it be justified to use nuclear weapons?^a (Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies)

	1986	1987	1991	1993	1998
Percentage of total sample that justify the use of nuclear weapons	36%	53%	88%	67%	80%
In response to nuclear attack	b	99%	99%	98%	99%
In response to gas or biological attack	b	b	85%	84%	86%
In a desperate military situation	91%	b	b	b	b
To avoid defeat in conventional war	b	60%	53%	58%	45%
To save many lives	63%	53%	48%	41%	25%c
To save fews lives	18%	19%	20%	17%	c
If the Golan Heights were taken	b	b	b	18%	21%
Instead of using the regular army	13%	13%	12%	8%	12%

^aData include only those who replied that there existed conditions under which the use of nuclear weapons would be justified, assuming Israel had such weapons. Based on Likert scale with four response options; "definitely justified" and "justified" reported here.
^bNot asked.
^cIn 1998, "to save lives."

Public opinion on arms control issues. (Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies)

	1991	1993	1996	1998
Prohibit nonconventional weapons to all nations of the region	75%	71%	43%	82%
Prevent outside arms supply to nations of the region	64%	66%	57%	63%
Enlarge demilitarized zones	60%	67%	65%	68%
Reduce size of armies	54%	56%	56%	56%

How Israelis View Israeli Nuclear Policy? (Israel Yearbook and Almanac 1999)

	1987	1998
Israel should develop nuclear weapons	78%	92%
If Israel has developed nuclear weapons, it should keep their existence secret.	65%	78%