67% Unfavorable: Israeli voters pick security over global image

Israeli voters are preparing to cast ballots on October 27 in an election where the country’s plummeting international standing is largely being set aside in favor of domestic security concerns. While Israel’s global image has reached historic lows, the issue is barely factoring into the campaign strategies of most parties or the primary motivations of the electorate.

The diplomatic climate has deteriorated sharply over the past year. A Pew Research Center poll conducted between February and May 2026 found that a median of 67% of adults across 36 countries held an unfavorable view of Israel. This statistical decline coincides with a series of high-profile incidents reported by media outlets, including allegations of harassment against Israeli tourists in Montenegro, Greece, Thailand, and the United States.

In Montenegro, a group of tourists was reportedly confronted by locals who asked them to stay in Israel. In Greece, a restaurant reportedly refused service to an Israeli woman. In Thailand, a mother and daughter were allegedly beaten after identifying their nationality. In California, an Israeli couple was asked if they were "baby killers" while checking into a hotel. These reports have fueled a narrative of growing hostility abroad, leading some world leaders to describe Israel’s military actions in Gaza as "disproportionate" and prompting allies to consider sanctions.

Despite this backdrop, experts suggest that most Israelis view the diplomatic friction as a problem beyond their immediate control. Yaakov Katz, a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, noted that while there are complaints about the government’s effectiveness in explaining its policies, the public largely accepts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s argument that global opposition is inherent and often driven by antisemitism.

"People accept that argument, and to a large extent, they don't push back on it," Katz said. He added that many Israelis believe the rise in global antisemitism would continue regardless of Israel's actions, a belief that shields the current administration from criticism on this front. Katz observed that the average Israeli does not fully grasp how declining support, particularly in the United States, could have long-term existential consequences for the country.

Ofir Dayan, a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, agreed that Israelis are aware of the diplomatic challenges but consider them secondary to the pressing issues of a country grappling with more than three years of war. She stated that Israeli voters are "very much one-issue voters," and that the dominant issue in this election is security. Dayan argued that the population is not yet remote enough from the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack to shift their voting patterns based on foreign policy stances.

Peter Lerner, the former Israel Defense Forces spokesman for the international press, described Israel’s international standing as secondary to two main factors: whether Netanyahu remains in power and the ideological battle between the left and the right. He noted that candidates rarely lead with public diplomacy plans, and when they do, the topic is treated as an afterthought compared to security threats.

Of the dozen or so parties expected to win seats in the Knesset, only a few have addressed the negative global image. The B’Yachad Party, led by former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, has proposed elevating the importance of Diaspora Jewry by allowing a non-voting observer in the Knesset to focus on these ties. The new right-wing party Amcha Yisrael, led by former IDF Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter, includes two prominent public diplomacy activists on its candidate list, including Yoseph Haddad, who has expressed interest in becoming the minister for public diplomacy.

Journalist Eylon Levy, a former government spokesman, characterized public diplomacy, or "hasbara," as a means to an end rather than a goal in itself. He suggested that a more moderate government elected on October 27 would likely buy Israel a grace period and some goodwill among less-than-friendly allies, even if it did not magically boost the country’s international standing. The election is scheduled for Tuesday, with the primary focus remaining on who will lead the country in the aftermath of the October 7 attack.