A poll conducted by Hebrew University in Jerusalem in early June revealed that 64% of Jewish Israelis, nearly two out of three, agree with the belief that there are “no innocents in Gaza.”
Among supporters of the ruling coalition, this sentiment was even higher, with 87% agreeing, while 73% of right-wing (non-coalition) voters, 67% of centrist voters, and 30% of left-wing voters shared this view.
However, many, including the Leeds Palestine Solidarity Campaign, pointed out that the actual percentage is significantly higher among Jewish Israelis, as the overall figure is skewed by the inclusion of Palestinians with Israeli citizenship.
Palestinians constitute about 20% of Israel’s population, and 92% of them rejected the statement, underscoring a deep divide in public opinion.
The poll results reflect Israel’s longstanding rhetoric toward Gaza, aligning with past statements by its leadership, such as then Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s 2018 declaration that “there are no innocent people in the Gaza Strip,” and President Isaac Herzog’s 2023 remark that there is “an entire nation out there that is responsible.”
This poll also indicated that 64% of Israelis believe domestic media coverage of the Gaza conflict is balanced and does not require broader reporting on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Among coalition voters, this figure rises to 89%.
In contrast, only 44% of opposition voters agreed, with 56% of them calling for broader humanitarian reporting.
When asked about specific news outlets, 39% of respondents said Channel 14, widely viewed as pro-Netanyahu, provided balanced coverage, while 56% found it biased against Palestinians in Gaza and 5% believed it favored them.
According to Haaretz, Channel 14 has consistently referred to all Gaza casualties as “terrorists” and, in several instances, celebrated the killing or injuring of civilians.
Regarding international media, 69% of Israelis said CNN and BBC were biased in favor of Palestinians, while 50% believed Fox News, known for its right-wing stance in the U.S., also displayed a pro-Palestinian bias.
These findings align with other surveys, such as one by Penn State University in March 2025, which reported that 82% of Jewish Israelis supported the forced expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, and 47% endorsed actions akin to the biblical conquest of Jericho, involving the killing of all inhabitants in a conquered city.
Additionally, 77% of respondents in the survey said that “global public opinion about Israel is very or somewhat important.”
The poll, conducted during the final week of May, surveyed a representative sample of 1,112 Israeli citizens.
Many believe these results suggest a significant portion of the Israeli public holds hardened views toward Palestinians in Gaza, potentially influenced by dehumanising media narratives, and political rhetoric.
Critics argue that these polls highlight a normalization of genocidal rhetoric.
Israel employs hasbara, a strategic communication method used to influence perceptions and tilt narratives in favour of Israel to justify actions in Gaza, including those accused of constituting genocide against Palestinians, by framing them as necessary for security or self-defense.
Since Israel intensified its assault on Gaza after October 7, 2023, Gaza health authorities have confirmed that the Palestinian death toll has risen to 57,418, with 136,261 others injured, most of them women and children.
More than 700 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access food in Gaza in recent weeks.
The Health Ministry on Saturday reported at least 743 deaths and over 4,891 injuries at controversial U.S.-Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution sites.
