An Israeli social research organization released survey findings examining public attitudes toward international sanctions on settlements and how foreign policy actions influenced recent electoral decisions. The poll, conducted last month, assessed opinions on measures including a UK trade ban on goods from illegal West Bank settlements announced in September.
Three-quarters of respondents had heard about the UK government’s announcement, with most understanding it applied specifically to the West Bank rather than all of Israel. When asked about the impact on voting behavior, the results indicated limited direct electoral consequences. Among Netanyahu bloc supporters, roughly three-quarters reported that UK sanctions policies did not affect their voting choice at all, with any shifts occurring in both directions and producing no measurable net effect on election outcomes.
A majority of all Israelis surveyed—50 percent—indicated the government should adjust its settlement and construction policy to prevent international isolation and escalation of sanctions. Support for policy modifications was notably higher among opposition bloc voters, with 71 percent backing such changes compared to only 14 percent of Netanyahu bloc supporters. The plurality of voters opposing the continuation of current settlements policy regardless of consequences suggests openness to compromise when personal economic impacts become a consideration.
Regarding specific sanction mechanisms, 52 percent of Israelis surveyed supported targeted sanctions on individual violent settlers, though 70 percent of Netanyahu bloc voters opposed foreign sanctions in all circumstances. The UK trade ban on settlement goods faced broader opposition, with 63 percent of respondents opposing it and 26 percent supporting it or conditionally supporting it if applied only to settlement products. The findings illustrated that concerns about sanctions intensified when voters believed they would experience direct personal economic consequences such as higher interest rates or banking difficulties.
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