Israeli poll: One-third of citizens label West Bank rioters ‘terrorists’

A new survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) reveals that a significant portion of the Israeli public views Jewish rioters involved in recent West Bank violence as terrorists or criminals. According to the September Israeli Society Index, 33% of respondents labeled the rioters involved in the Qusra incident as ‘Israeli terrorists’, while 18% described them as ‘nationalist criminals’.

The poll highlights deep political divisions within Israel. Among respondents on the left, 63% used the term ‘Israeli terrorists’, compared to 49% in the political center and only 3% on the right. Arab Israelis were also more likely to use the terrorist designation (55%) than Jewish Israelis (27%).

Support for the rioters appears minimal, with only 5% of respondents expressing support. Only 13% of those surveyed chose lenient descriptions, such as ‘the salt of the earth’ or ‘young people who sometimes go too far’. The survey follows a violent incident in the village of Qusra where masked individuals threw stones at Palestinian residents and barricaded themselves inside a home, resulting in several injuries.