As the regional crisis around Israel has widened in recent weeks, from the Iran war to continued Israeli military action in Gaza and renewed strikes in Lebanon, new Leger data suggests Canadians are drawing a clear distinction between Israel’s basic legitimacy and their broader judgment of the state itself. Canada’s political stance has also remained cautious, with Ottawa calling for de-escalation, humanitarian access, and respect for international law as the conflict has grown more volatile.
According to Leger’s latest survey on perceptions of Israel, only 22% of Canadians say they have a favourable impression of Israel. That is down from 33% in 2023. At the same time, unfavourable views have risen sharply, reaching 61%. The findings point to a major deterioration in public sentiment, even as Canadians continue to hold more balanced views on certain underlying principles tied to security, statehood, and coexistence.
Canadians separate Israel’s existence from their opinion of its conduct
The clearest takeaway from this study is that public opinion on canada and israel is not one-dimensional. Canadians may be broadly negative toward Israel overall, but that does not translate into wholesale rejection of Israel’s right to exist or defend itself.
Three quarters of Canadians, 75%, agree that Israel has a right to defend itself when threatened by other countries. Two thirds, 66%, agree that Israel has a right to exist. A majority, 57%, also say Israel faces a uniquely difficult situation in a hostile region.
At the same time, many Canadians are critical of Israel’s behaviour and intentions. Just over half, 52%, agree that Israel is its own worst enemy because it makes no effort to live peacefully with its neighbours. Only 33% believe Israel is actively seeking peace with neighbours willing to stop threatening it. In other words, many Canadians still recognize Israel’s security concerns, but they are far less convinced by the country’s current political and military posture.
On canada and israel, support for homeland rights extends to both peoples
Leger’s survey finds that 80% of Canadians believe Jewish people have the right to a homeland where they can live freely and safely. Nearly as many, 76%, say the same about Palestinian people. That is one of the most striking findings in the report. It suggests that, despite polarized debate, most Canadians are not thinking in zero-sum terms. They are recognizing parallel rights.
For anyone tracking canada and israel, this is a key point. Canadians may be souring on Israel as a state actor, but they are not abandoning the idea that both Jewish and Palestinian peoples have legitimate national rights.
A damaged image, across regions and voter groups
Israel’s overall standing is weak across the country. Favourable opinion sits at 22% nationally, and falls to 17% in Quebec. It is also notably lower among women than men, 17% versus 27%. By voting intention, perceptions differ sharply. Conservative voters are far more likely to view Israel favourably, at 38%, while favourable opinion drops to 17% among Liberal voters and 12% among NDP voters.
Canadians who rely mainly on family and friends for Middle East news are more likely to hold a favourable impression of Israel, at 38%, than those who rely on Canadian mainstream media, at 20%. More broadly, mainstream Canadian news outlets remain the dominant source of information on Middle East issues, cited by 57% of respondents, followed by social media at 25% and mainstream international media at 20%.
Antisemitism remains a domestic concern
The survey also shows that Canadians do not view this issue only through a foreign policy lens. They also see domestic consequences.
Asked about the Government of Canada’s response to rising antisemitic incidents since October 7 and the subsequent Middle East conflict, 39% say Ottawa needs to do more. Only 29% say the government is doing enough, and just 7% say it is doing too much.
A more complicated picture than the headlines suggest
The latest Leger findings show that public opinion on canada and israel is harder to flatten into a single narrative than many headlines would suggest.
Canadians are clearly more negative toward Israel than they were three years ago. That shift likely reflects the cumulative effect of war, regional escalation, humanitarian devastation, and the increasingly visible costs of prolonged military action. But Canadians have not moved to a simplistic all-or-nothing position. They still affirm Israel’s right to exist. They still affirm its right to defend itself. And they also affirm homeland rights for Palestinians, almost to the same degree.
Methodology
This online survey was conducted from March 27 to March 30, 2026, among 1,618 Canadians aged 18 and older. Respondents were randomly recruited from Leger’s LEO online panel and had the option of completing the survey in English or French. Results were weighted by age, gender, mother tongue, region, education, and presence of children in the household to ensure a representative sample of the Canadian population.
A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size yields a margin of error no greater than ±2.44%, 19 times out of 20.
