Syrians see Israel as biggest regional threat, followed by Iran: Survey

Some 97 percent of respondents to the Arab Opinion Index for Syria accidental Israel threatens information and stableness successful the Middle East.

Most Syrians presumption Israel arsenic the top menace to the information of their state and the region, with Iran a distant second, according to a caller nationwide survey.

The poll, conducted by the Doha-based Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies and the Arab Center for Contemporary Syria Studies, published its results connected Monday.

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The Arab Opinion Index for Syria 2026 recovered that 61 percent of respondents named Israel arsenic the main menace to Syria, portion Iran was named by 20 percent, Turkiye by 6 percent and the United States by 5 percent.

Asked astir the Arab satellite arsenic a whole, 58 percent of respondents named Israel arsenic the main threat, unchanged from past year. Meanwhile, the stock naming Iran arsenic the main determination menace doubled from 12 percent successful 2025 to 24 percent.

Some 97 percent said Israel threatens the information and stableness of the Middle East, up from 78 percent a twelvemonth earlier. The percent of those who said the aforesaid astir Iran roseate from 74 to 93.

Israel has seized territory successful confederate Syria since the autumn of Bashar al-Assad successful December 2024. About 96 percent of respondents said Israel is moving to destabilise Syria and 86 percent said it is driving separatist tendencies.

Almost 80 percent reason recognising Israel, up from 74 percent successful 2025, and 74 percent reason immoderate statement that does not instrumentality the occupied Golan Heights. Respondents were divided connected nonstop talks betwixt Syrian and Israeli officials: 41 percent said they service Syria’s interests and 49 percent said they bash not.

Al Jazeera interviewed residents connected the streets of Damascus up of the Israeli elections past month. One of them, Jihad el-Hamwi, said Israel’s attack to Syria was unaffected by the alteration of government.

“In my opinion, Israeli argumentation does not alteration erstwhile the ruler changes, due to the fact that it is an expansionist policy,” helium said. “Just arsenic it has expanded into Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and different countries, its purpose is expansion, not a alteration of ruler.”

Another nonmigratory told Al Jazeera, “The Israeli elections lone ever bring successful a ruler who is unjust, who does not adjacent recognise the rights of his neighbours, and who has perfectly nary transportation to planetary norms.”

On the US-Israel warfare connected Iran, 80 percent of survey respondents said Iranian rocket strikes connected Israel were justified, with 74 percent saying Iranian strikes connected Arab countries, different than US subject bases, were not. Three-quarters said Washington had waged the warfare connected Israel’s behalf.

The survey besides points to increasing enactment for pluralism: 76 percent agreed that democracy, contempt its problems, is amended than different systems, up 16 percent points from past year. Three-quarters said a antiauthoritarian strategy with governmental pluralism and a separation of powers was champion for Syria. No alternative, including regularisation by Islamic instrumentality without elections, drew much than 9 percent.

About 87 percent of respondents said nary 1 should question the patriotism of radical who reason authorities policy, a 20-point increase.

Views of the country’s absorption were mixed. Half said Syria was heading the close way, citing the extremity of the erstwhile government, the merchandise of detainees and the lifting of sanctions, but 35 percent disagreed.

The survey comes astir 2 years aft al-Assad was toppled successful an violative led by absorption fighters, ending much than 5 decades of his family’s rule.