Public trust in Israel’s democracy and state institutions remains near record lows for the second year in a row, data from the Israel Democracy Institute’s annual Democracy Index indicated on Monday, though significantly more Israelis believe the country’s overall situation is good compared to last year’s survey.

The study showed that trust in the government, among both Jews and Arabs, stayed near 2024 levels.

For Jewish respondents, trust in the government was reported to be 25 percent, up just over two points from the 2024 survey. For Arabs, trust in the government was 17.5%, up one point from the previous year.

The survey also showed that, among Jews, trust in the Israel Defense Forces remained high, at 81%, the same figure reported last year. For Arab citizens, trust in the IDF was reported at 31%, down three points from last year.

Trust in the Israel Police dropped three points for Jews, down from 42% to 39%. For Arabs, only 22% of respondents reported trust in police, down two points from 2024.

The drop in support for police comes amid an increase in violent crimes, including in the rate of femicides and homicides in Israel’s Arab community.

As for........

© The Times of Israel