Results of a Flash Survey in Light of the Chief of Staff’s Resignation

Key Findings

• In this survey, 74% of respondents believe that the resignation of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi does not signify the end of the war. In contrast, only 12% think otherwise, while 14% answered “Don’t know.”
• Regarding the chief of staff’s resignation letter, in which he stated that he is stepping down at a point when the IDF has achieved significant gains, 74% of respondents believe that the IDF has not achieved the war’s objectives. Conversely, 17% think the IDF has met its objectives, while 9% responded “Don’t know.”
• Among those surveyed, 54% believe that the appointment of the next chief of staff will be based to a low or very low extent on professional considerations, while 38% think it will be based to a great or very great extent on such considerations. An additional 9% responded, “Don’t know.”
• In light of the wave of resignations among senior military officials, 50% of respondents think an early election date should be set soon, while 41% disagree. Another 9% responded “Don’t know.”
• Of those surveyed, 76% agree that a state commission of inquiry should be established immediately to investigate the events of October 7, while 19% disagree, and 5% responded “Don’t know.”
• A majority of the respondents (79%) expressed a high or fairly high level of trust in the IDF, compared to 20% who reported low or no trust. Only 1% responded “Don’t know.”

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[1] The survey was conducted on January 22–23, 2025, by the Data Analytics Center at the Institute for National Security Studies. The fieldwork was carried out by 'iPanel,' during which 506 men and women were interviewed online in Hebrew. The sample represents the adult Jewish population of Israel aged 18 and over. The maximum sampling error for the entire sample is ±4.0% at a 95% confidence level.