As Israel heads into the Jewish New Year, the country’s national mood is deeply pessimistic, with more than seven in ten Israelis describing it as “poor” or “very poor,” according to a new survey released Wednesday by the Israel Democracy Institute.

The August 2025 Israeli Voice Index found 71 percent of the public sees the nation in a bleak state of mind. Among Jewish citizens, the figure rises to 73 percent, compared to 58 percent of Arab citizens. Secular Jews were the most negative, with 86 percent describing the mood as poor, while even Chareidim (59 percent) and traditional religious Jews (55 percent) shared the view. Only national religious Jews broke the trend, with less than half calling the mood grim.

The gloom cuts across politics. Nearly all respondents on the left (93 percent) and center (89 percent) viewed the national mood negatively, with 61 percent of the right joining them.

The findings land as Israel nears the two-year mark of its war with Hamas, sparked by the group’s October 7, 2023 massacre. Since then, Israelis have endured a 12-day war with Iran, another with Hezbollah in Lebanon, fierce internal battles over Chareidi military enlistment, and a wave of protests over hostages still held in Gaza. At the same time, the country faces growing diplomatic isolation tied to the humanitarian crisis in the Strip.

Despite the dismal national outlook, the survey captured a split between how Israelis view the nation and their own lives. Nearly half (49.5 percent) rated their personal mood as fairly good or very good. The starkest contrast was among Chareidim and national religious communities, roughly three-quarters of whom reported personal optimism. Secular Israelis were far gloomier, with just 41 percent rating their personal outlook positively.

Looking ahead, Israelis are somewhat more hopeful than they were a year ago. Just under a quarter (24.5 percent) believe the coming year will be worse—down from 42 percent last year. One-third (33 percent) expect it will be better, while 30 percent expect no change. On the right, optimism is highest: 46 percent said the new year would bring improvements, compared to just 19 percent of the left.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)