The survey, conducted by Tel Aviv University, examined the attitudes of Israel’s Arab population following the conclusion of the war in Gaza.

More than 75% of Israel’s Arab citizens support an Arab party joining the government coalition following the end of the war, a new study revealed.

The study surveyed the attitudes of Israel’s Arab population following the conclusion of the war in Gaza after October 7th, and was conducted by the Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University.

Data presented by the university shows a sharp increase in support compared to May 2023, when just 63% of Arab citizens supported joining the coalition.

According to the study, if elections to the Knesset were held today, voter turnout among Arab communities would stand at around 52.4%, similar to the 53.2% turnout for the 25th Knesset elections in November 2022. In such a scenario, the Arab parties Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am would win 5.3 and 3.9 seats respectively, passing the electoral threshold, while Balad would again fall short with 2.6 seats.

If the Joint List were re-established, uniting the four Arab parties as in previous election cycles, turnout would rise significantly to 61.8%, with the Joint List projected to win 15.5 seats. Overall, 77.4% of respondents said they support an Arab party participating in the next government - nearly half supporting joining any coalition formed, and 31.8% supporting participation specifically in a center-left government. The Dayan Center noted that these findings align with previous surveys conducted during the war.

The survey also explored the issues most important to Arab citizens. A clear majority (74%) identified combating violence and crime as the top priority for the community, far outweighing other concerns. Smaller but notable portions pointed to resolving the Palestinian issue (7.6%) and improving planning and construction policies in Arab towns (7%).

The study further revealed major components of personal identity among Arab citizens, with Arab identity (35.9%) and Israeli citizenship (31.7%) emerging as the strongest. Religious affiliation (17.3%) and Palestinian identity (14.7%) were also significant factors.

Rising violence in Arab society a main concern

Despite relatively stable political engagement, the survey found deep concern regarding personal safety: 76.6% of Arab citizens reported feeling a weak sense of personal security. The leading cause for the negative mood was the rise in violence within Arab communities (51.9%), followed by fears of another regional war (14.2%), the situation in Gaza (11.3%), and economic hardship (10%). Interestingly, 73.4% of respondents said their economic situation is relatively good—the highest such figure recorded in surveys taken during the war.

Relations between Arab and Jewish citizens were also viewed pessimistically. Nearly three-quarters of participants (74.6%) said relations have deteriorated over the past two years due to the war, with almost half saying the deterioration was significant. More than a third (37.5%) reported that their sense of belonging to the state has weakened since the war began, though a slight majority (50.8%) felt the conflict had not changed their feelings toward the state.

On the political front, 64.6% of Arab citizens expressed belief in the possibility of Arab-Jewish political cooperation, though only 44.7% believe such cooperation is supported by the Jewish public. Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 47.3% said the most realistic solution is a two-state outcome based on the 1967 borders. Fourteen percent favored a single binational state, 8.5% backed a regional solution with international mediation, and 21% believed no political solution is currently realistic.

Dr. Arik Rudnitzky, Director of the Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation at the Moshe Dayan Center, said the findings highlight the resilience and political maturity of Arab society.

“The past two years have not been easy for Arab citizens, as the ongoing war in Gaza and the suffering of the Palestinian population have deeply concerned them," Dr. Rudnitzky said. "Yet the support for an Arab party joining the coalition, as well as belief in Arab-Jewish political partnership, even amid a prolonged war, shows that the Arab public is demonstrating notable political maturity, upholding public order and democratic values, and seeking now to contribute to the rehabilitation of Israeli society as a whole after the war.”

He added that despite the most severe confrontation in the history of the conflict, Arab citizens remain focused on day-to-day civil issues; “The Palestinian issue is always in the background, but for the vast majority of the Arab public it does not dictate their political priorities.”