Israeli Public Opinion Polls: Views on the Israel Defense Forces

Do you support or not support compulsory conscription into the IDF for young haredim? 
        (Peace Index, July 2018)

	Israeli Jews	Israeli Arabs	General Public
Strongly support	41%	23.9%	38.1%
Moderately support	29.4%	3%	25%
Don't support much	13.3%	7.4%	12.3%
Don't support at all	12.6%	17.5%	13.5%
Don't know/No answer	3.6%	48.2%	11%

What is your opinion on the proposal, raised repeatedly in recent years, to put an end to compulsory conscription and turn the IDF into a professional army, with those who serve in it regarding the service as their professional life-choice and being compensated accordingly?
        (Peace Index, July 2018)

	Israeli Jews	Israeli Arabs	General Public
Strongly support	19.1%	24.4%	20%
Moderately support	20.3%	11.2%	18.8%
Don't support much	21.7%	.3%	18.1%
Don't support at all	27.4%	15.5%	25.5%
Don't know/No answer	11.4%	48.5%	17.6%

Does calling the IDF “the people’s army” currently describe the IDF accurately or not describe it accurately? 
        (Peace Index, July 2018)

	Israeli Jews	Israeli Arabs	General Public
Describes it accurately	31.8%	12.9%	28.6%
Moderately accurately	35.6%	4%	30.2%
Not so accurately	21%	15.8%	20.1%
Not accurately at all	4.3%	53.5%	12.6%
Don't know/No answer	7.3%	13.8%	8.5%

Which grade would you give the IDF for how it has dealt with the Palestinians’ ongoing struggle along the border with Gaza?
        (Peace Index, July 2018)

	Israeli Jews	Israeli Arabs	General Public
Excellent	38.3%	7.2%	33.1%
Good	37.6%	2.9%	31.8%
Not so good	15.3%	10.1%	14.4%
Not good at all	5.8%	68.5%	16.2%
Don't know/No answer	3.1%	11.3%	4.4%

Do you support or not support compulsory conscription into the IDF for young haredim?
        (Peace Index, October 2017)

	Jews	Arabs	General Public
Strongly support	41%	31.3%	39.4%
Moderately support	27.7%	10.8%	24.9%
Don't support much	15%	5.2%	13.3%
Don't support at all	15%	36.8%	18.6%
Don't know/No answer	1.3%	15.9%	3.8%

Do you support or not support compulsory conscription into the IDF for young Arabs?
        (Peace Index, October 2017)

	Jews	Arabs	General Public
Strongly support	8.4%	5.5%	7.9%
Moderately support	23.2%	3.7%	20%
Don't support much	29.1%	3.6%	24.9%
Don't support at all	34.7%	84.9%	43%
Don't know/No answer	4.6%	2.2%	4.2%

What grade would you give the IDF in each of the following areas? Give your answer on a scale of 1-5 with 1 meaning “Insufficient” and 5 meaning “Excellent.”?
        (Peace Index, October 2017)

• Operation Fitness for Combat

	Jews	Arabs	General Public
1 - Insufficient	1%	10.1%	2.6%
2	2.6%	9.4%	3.7%
3	10.2%	7%	9.6%
4	38%	16.8%	34.5%
5 - Excellent	42%	29.5%	39.9%
Don't know/No answer	6.2%	27.1%	9.7%

• Conduct of economic-budgetary matters

	Jews	Arabs	General Public
1 - Insufficient	12.4%	10.5%	12.1%
2	13.8%	10%	13.1%
3	32.9%	14.6%	29.9%
4	22%	11.2%	20.2%
5 - Excellent	6.9%	19.9%	9.1%
Don't know/No answer	12%	33.8%	15.6%

• Treatment of the soldiers and their personal problems

	Jews	Arabs	General Public
1 - Insufficient	9.6%	6.8%	9.2%
2	11.9%	9.7%	11.5%
3	37.4%	16.6%	33.9%
4	23.7%	12.3%	21.8%
5 - Excellent	9.5%	15.2%	10.5%
Don't know/No answer	7.9%	39.4%	13.1%

• Equality between women and men

	Jews	Arabs	General Public
1 - Insufficient	5.4%	7.2%	5.7%
2	14.2%	5.3%	12.7%
3	24.9%	23.8%	24.7%
4	30.2%	17.4%	28.1%
5 - Excellent	19.6%	20.5%	19.8%
Don't know/No answer	5.6%	25.9%	9%

• Obedience to the elected political leadership of the country

	Jews	Arabs	General Public
1 - Insufficient	5.3%	9%	5.9%
2	5.8%	5.1%	5.7%
3	15.4%	25.7%	17.1%
4	31.7%	9%	27.9%
5 - Excellent	33.9%	19.4%	31.5%
Don't know/No answer	7.9%	31.7%	11.9%

• Moral conduct during operational activity

	Jews	Arabs	General Public
1 - Insufficient	2.5%	29.5%	7%
2	3.5%	11.3%	4.8%
3	10%	19.6%	11.6%
4	28%	10.2%	25.1%
5 - Excellent	50%	11%	43.5%
Don't know/No answer	6%	18.4%	8.1%

Do you believe that Israel is able to deal with the security threats and challenges facing Israel?
        (Peace Index, May 2014)

	Jews	Arabs
Yes	91%	69%
No	9%	21%
Don't Know	0%	10%

Is regarding the IDF as an "army of the people" appropriate for the IDF today?
        (Peace Index, October 2013)

	Jews
Appropriate	69.8%
Not Appropriate	25.4%
Don't Know	4.8%

Should Israel move to a more volunteer, professional army and away from conscription?
        (Peace Index, October 2013; Dahaf Poll, February 2008)

	Jews
	February 2008	October 2013
Cancel Conscription	15.3%	21.1%
Keep Service As Is	74.4%	75.8%
Don't Know	11.3%	3.1%

Is the decision to not extend the Tal Law (religious student army exemption) appropriate or not appropriate?
        (Peace Index, February 2012)

	General Public	Jews	Arabs
Appropriate	68.0%	71.0%	51.1%
Not Appropriate	27.1%	25.6%	35.6%
Don't Know	4.9%	3.3%	13.3%

Does the IDF act too mildly, too harshly or appropriately toward settlers who carry out "price-tag" actions?
        (Peace Index, October 31, 2011)

	General Public	Jews	Arabs
Too Mildly	14.3%	13.1%	21.1%
Too Harshly	38.5%	35.0%	58.9%
Appropriately	34.0%	37.8%	12.2%
Don't Know	13.2%	14.1%	7.8%

Is it proper for the IDF to hold events where male and female soldiers are separated because of religious demands? (Peace Index, October 31, 2011)

Should removal of female soldiers from units with Haredim be permitted so as to enable ultra-Orthodox soldiers to serve? (Peace Index, October 31, 2011)

Did you support the decision to launch the operation in Syria (to destroy the supposed nuclear reactor)? (Yedioth Ahronoth, September 18, 2007)

Do you count on the IDF to defend the State? (Dahaf, September 7, 2007)

How do you view the idea of requiring Israeli-Arabs to perform 2 years of national service? (Keevoon Research, May 28-30, 2007)

Do you have confidence in the ability of the IDF to win the next war should it break out? (Teleseker, May 4, 2007)

Do you count on the IDF to defend Israel? (Yediot Ahronot, August 25, 2006)

Would you describe the IDF as a moral army today? (Israeli television program "Reshet in the Morning," December 9, 2004)