Corona Survey #11

IDI's latest coronavirus survey found 45% of Israelis pessimistic about the country's ability to overcome the COVID-19 crisis. The survey also found that if opened, 74% of Israelis plan on sending their children to school.

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A special survey by the Guttman Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research at the Israel Democracy Institute examined public opinion about government policies relating to the coronavirus outbreak and the economic fallout from the pandemic. The survey, the eleventh in this series, finds that 45% of Israelis are pessimistic about Israeli society's ability to overcome the corona crisis. Regarding concerns about their economic futures, average income earners surveyed proclaimed the largest increase in optimism. If the school year opens as planned on September 1st, three fourths of Israelis say that they will send their children to school.

Survey Highlights

Overcoming the current crisis–optimistic or pessimistic – Public optimism about the chances of recovery from it is much lower today than in the beginning of the outbreak – 50% among Jewish Israelis and 32% among Arab Israelis.

Optimistic about Israeli society's ability to overcome the current crisis (%, Jews, Arabs)

Fear for the future – Among many income earners expressions of fear for their economic wellbeing in the foreseeable future has declined – the sharpest decrease was among the average income earners - 66% low income, 53.5% average income (down from 61% in July) and 35% of above average income earners.

To what extent are you worried for your economic wellbeing in the foreseeable future? (%)

Social protests – 57% of Israelis think that political opposition to Prime Minister Netanyahu is the primary motivation for protestors around the country. Only a third of respondents think protesters are motivated by the economic situation. 

Trust in leadership and experts – There has been an increase in the degree of trust in the Prime Minister, nevertheless 61% stated that they do not trust PM Netanyahu to manage the corona crisis. Prof. Ronni Gamzu, the National Corona Virus Project Coordinator, who was surveyed for the first time is trusted by 59.5% of Israelis.

Trust in Prime Minister Netanyahu (%, general public)

School Time – Assuming that the school year will open as planned on September 1st, a large majority of Israelis (75%) say that they plan on sending their children to school.

Assuming that the new school year will open in three weeks as planned, will you or will you not send your children to school/preschool? (%)

The survey Israel in the Time of Coronavirus 11 is a project of the Guttman Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research of the Israel Democracy Institute. In the survey, which was conducted on the internet and by telephone (supplements of groups that are not sufficiently represented on the network) from August 11 to August 12 2020, 620 men and women were interviewed in Hebrew and 150 in Arabic, constituting a representative national sample of the entire adult population of Israel aged 18 and older. The maximum sampling error for the entire sample was 3.7%± at a confidence level of 95%. The fieldwork was done by the Rafi Smith Institute under the direction of Rafi Smith. For the full data file see: Data Israel