On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants organized a surprise assault on Israel. The following day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel is now at war. From October 13 to 15, 2023, we surveyed Canadians to understand their opinions and awareness of the conflict.
Download the report to learn more.
Some of the key highlights of our survey about the conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip include…
The majority of Canadians follow the news about the conflict.
- 63% of Canadians are very closely or somewhat closely following the news on the events occurring in Israel, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank. Canadians 55 years of age or older (78%) and men (73%) are more likely to follow these events closely.
- Half of Canadians (49%) say they have a good understanding of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Among those who are following the recent events closely, 70% say they have a good understanding.
- Half of Canadians (51%) believe that achieving lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians in the future is not possible. Only 19% of respondents are optimistic that lasting peace can be reached, while 30% are unsure. Among those who say they have a good understanding of the conflict, 62% believe that lasting peace is not achievable.
Canadians think airlifting Canadian citizens from the conflict zones was a good decision
- 57% of Canadians believe the Government of Canada is responsible for repatriating its citizens from the conflict zone, while 20% feel citizens themselves should be responsible for their safe return.
- The majority of Canadians (71%) believe that the government made a good decision in airlifting Canadian citizens from conflict zones, while only 9% think it was a bad decision and 20% are unsure.
Methodology
This web survey was conducted from October 13 to 15, 2023, with 1,548 Canadians 18 years of age or older, randomly recruited from LEO’s online panel.
A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey. For comparison, a probability sample of 1,548 respondents would have a margin of error of ±2.49%, 19 times out of 20.