Along with the objectives of the campaign on the battle front, Israel also faces the critical challenge inherent in the need to restore public trust in the various state systems and restore the sense of personal security for civilians; these were severely damaged in the wake of the October 7 disaster. Public opinion data show that a considerable percentage of the Israeli public expresses high confidence in the IDF's ability to win the campaign and in the competence of its various ranks, with residents of the south and north expressing this confidence at similar or even higher levels than the residents of the rest of the country, However, less than half of the public feels the political echelon is very or sufficiently competent to conduct the war. In addition, almost a third of the respondents testified that their sense of personal security is low or very low.
A survey conducted by INSS shows that what most strengthens the citizens' sense of security is expressions of social solidarity, alongside images of victory from the military campaign. Important elements that were mentioned included clear instructions from the Home Front Command and information on a regular and continuous basis from the IDF spokesperson about the course of the fighting. It is evident that at this time, the public is thirsty for a demonstration of social solidarity, which strengthens the sense of belonging and community and therefore increases personal trust and security. This joins the need for evidence of military success and the army's control of the situation, reflected in orderly instructions.
Restoring public trust in the IDF will take a long time. Although the data show that the public generally trusts the IDF and believes that the IDF will win both the war in Gaza and the one in the north – if the campaign expands there – this does not imply inevitable recovery from the damage and the rupture in the deep sense of the breached contract between the IDF and society. The army will therefore have to regain the public's trust, in a lengthy process that will require transparency and draw important conclusions as the fighting ebbs. Of course, this accompanies the achievement and the perception of achievement in the current campaign.
Along with the objectives of the campaign on the battle front, Israel also faces the critical challenge inherent in the need to restore public trust in the various state systems and restore the sense of personal security for civilians; these were severely damaged in the wake of the October 7 disaster. Public opinion data show that a considerable percentage of the Israeli public expresses high confidence in the IDF's ability to win the campaign and in the competence of its various ranks, with residents of the south and north expressing this confidence at similar or even higher levels than the residents of the rest of the country, However, less than half of the public feels the political echelon is very or sufficiently competent to conduct the war. In addition, almost a third of the respondents testified that their sense of personal security is low or very low.
A survey conducted by INSS shows that what most strengthens the citizens' sense of security is expressions of social solidarity, alongside images of victory from the military campaign. Important elements that were mentioned included clear instructions from the Home Front Command and information on a regular and continuous basis from the IDF spokesperson about the course of the fighting. It is evident that at this time, the public is thirsty for a demonstration of social solidarity, which strengthens the sense of belonging and community and therefore increases personal trust and security. This joins the need for evidence of military success and the army's control of the situation, reflected in orderly instructions.
Restoring public trust in the IDF will take a long time. Although the data show that the public generally trusts the IDF and believes that the IDF will win both the war in Gaza and the one in the north – if the campaign expands there – this does not imply inevitable recovery from the damage and the rupture in the deep sense of the breached contract between the IDF and society. The army will therefore have to regain the public's trust, in a lengthy process that will require transparency and draw important conclusions as the fighting ebbs. Of course, this accompanies the achievement and the perception of achievement in the current campaign.