A majority of Israelis believe that the lessons of October 7 require Israel to maintain defensible borders, buffer zones, and a military presence in strategically vital areas, according to a new nationwide public opinion survey conducted for the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA). The findings reveal broad public support for preserving Israel’s territorial security assets and deep skepticism toward alternatives based on international guarantees or territorial withdrawals.
The survey was conducted by Lazar Research under Dr. Menachem Lazar. It used a representative sample of 503 Jewish and Arab Israeli adults. The survey found that 54% of Israelis believe Israel’s borders are not secure after October 7. Only 42% feel the borders are adequately protected. In addition, 56% of respondents say the October 7 security failure resulted from several factors, not just one.
Regarding Gaza, 64% of Israelis support a permanent military buffer zone, with another 11% favoring a temporary arrangement. This means roughly three-quarters of the public backs a Gaza security buffer zone.
On the northern front, 73% of Israelis support maintaining an IDF presence and security zone in southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, while only 14% oppose such a policy.
Strong support was also recorded regarding Syria. Sixty percent of Israelis support maintaining Israel’s security presence and control in areas secured following the fall of the Assad regime, either by preserving the current situation or by expanding the buffer zone to address future security threats.
In Judea and Samaria, 57% of Israelis think Israel must keep a permanent military presence in the Jordan Valley. They see this as a non-negotiable security need, regardless of any future political deal. Only 11% think Israel could give up this presence.
The survey also shows deep skepticism toward international security measures. Sixty-five percent of Israelis do not trust international forces to replace the Israeli military along the borders. Of these, 40% say only Israel can defend itself. Another 25% cite past failures by international forces.
Consistent with these views, 61% of Israelis oppose a peace agreement requiring a full withdrawal from the West Bank without Israeli-controlled buffer zones or security mechanisms. Just 27% support such a plan.
The survey further found that 48% of Israelis now view the Oslo Accords as a strategic mistake, while 56% believe that Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza was also a strategic mistake. These findings reflect a significant reassessment of past territorial withdrawal policies and security assumptions.
Dr. Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, said: “The Israeli public has drawn a clear lesson from October 7 and the security developments of recent years: national security cannot be based on hopes, international guarantees, or assumptions that have proven inadequate. Most Israelis now understand that defensible borders, strategic depth, buffer zones, and an Israeli security presence in vital areas are indispensable components of national defense.”
According to Dr. Diker, “The survey findings reveal a broad consensus that crosses many political lines regarding the need to preserve Israel’s independent defensive capabilities and ensure that the country maintains borders it can defend in an increasingly volatile regional environment. This is an important message both for Israel’s decision-makers and for its international partners.”
The survey was conducted as part of the Defensible Borders Initiative of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA), in cooperation with the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS).
