Polls, Peace, and Partnership

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Gershon Baskin

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Nov 19, 2025, 6:27:55 AM11/19/25

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Polls, Peace, and Partnership

Do public opinion polls actually reflect genuine public opinion?

I am frequently asked about public opinion in Israel and in Palestine – especially about what people in Gaza think. My answer since October 7, 2023 has been that war time polls have no real relevance regarding a longer perspective of where the publics might be a year after the war. I caution that all polls are a snap shot of a moment in passing time. War time polls reflect a high level of emotion and in our cases also trauma. There is usually a rallying around the flag and the almost thoughtless acceptance of mainstream narratives fostered by leaders and the media. War time pollsters, and maybe pollsters at all times are usually looking for headlines and noticeable heights in positions held by the wider public. Support for the war effort, perceiving the troops, especially the fallen fighters as heroes, limiting or marginalizing criticism of one’s own side – these are all very common trends in war time polls and they were very apparent in the Israeli and Palestinian polls over the past two years. I don’t find the polls during wartime to be particularly important when trying to understand longer terms potentials of political processes.