56.4% of Israelis say Netanyahu failed in Iran war, new poll finds

A majority of Israelis believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed in the war against Iran, according to a new opinion poll published Sunday.

Israel and the US launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, with a temporary ceasefire announced on April 8 before Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday aimed at ending the conflict.

According to the survey conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem between June 17 and 20 among 3,644 participants, and published by The Times of Israel daily, 56.4% of respondents described Netanyahu’s performance during the war as “failure” or “poor,” while 26.5% rated it positively.

The poll also found that 72.5% of respondents do not believe Netanyahu’s assertions that Israel “achieved significant gains” and eliminated an “existential threat.”

The survey showed that 92.1% of respondents believe Iran “has won” the war, while 82.9% said the conflict “weakened Israel’s long-term security.”

According to the findings, 87.8% believe Israel either “failed to achieve the objectives it launched the offensive to achieve, or fulfilled only some of them.”

The poll also showed Netanyahu’s support as preferred prime minister falling from 40.5% in March to 29.4% in June.

Meanwhile, 48.2% of respondents backed renewing “major military action” against Hezbollah in Lebanon “even at the risk of a clash with Trump,” while 20.9% opposed such a move and the remainder declined to express an opinion.

Earlier Sunday, talks between the US and Iran opened at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland under the framework of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which is intended to pave the way for a permanent end to the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The understanding includes provisions aimed at ending hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US naval blockade imposed on Iran.