Approx. 80% of Israelis support Trump's plan to relocate Gazans - survey

A majority of Israelis support US President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate Gaza’s population to other countries, a Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) Israel Index survey revealed Monday.

The survey, which was published ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump in Washington, found that approximately eight out of ten Israelis support Trump’s suggestion that “Arabs from Gaza should relocate to another country,” while most Arab Israelis oppose the proposal.

According to the findings, 43% of all Israelis believe Trump’s plan is “practical” and should be pursued, while an additional 30% of Jewish Israelis responded that the plan is “not practical, but desirable,” meaning they support the idea but do not see it as realistically feasible.

However, 13% of Israelis believe Trump’s proposal is “immoral.” This group includes 54% of Arab respondents and only 3% of Jewish Israelis.

The JPPI study also found differences in opinion in political views, with 81% of right-wing respondents saying the plan is both desirable and practical, compared to 31% of those in the center and 27% of left-wing Jewish respondents.

U.S. President Donald Trump signs the Laken Riley Act at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 29, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)

⁠Results found that a majority of Likud voters believe that the relocation plan is both desirable and practical, with half of the National Unity party voters agreeing it is desirable but not practical. Furthermore, 62% of those who associated themselves with the Labor Party consider the plan either a “distraction” or “immoral.”

Change in views

According to JPPI, The idea of significantly relocating Gaza’s Palestinian population—once considered illegitimate by many Israelis—now sees support among Jewish Israelis. When there is opposition, it is typically based on practicality, with some dismissing the plan as “a distraction” rather than on moral grounds.

Surveys conducted in the 1990s and mid-2000s on the transfer of Palestinians from the West Bank generally found support levels of 40%–50% among Jewish Israelis.