Israeli social and political discourse has long viewed threats to the country’s physical existence and way of life as originating primarily from external sources. Iran, Hezbollah, the Palestinians, the new or old regime in Syria and, more recently, the Houthis in Yemen are all commonly identified as such dangers. More broadly, Israel sees itself as navigating, to a greater or lesser extent, a hostile international environment.

The study revealed that the majority of the public in Israel, 55%, sees internal polarization and disagreement as the most dangerous threat to the country’s continued existence.

Israeli social and political discourse has long viewed threats to the country’s physical existence and way of life as originating primarily from external sources. Iran, Hezbollah,…