Poll: 60% of Israelis blame government for high cost of living

The majority of Israelis (60%) blame Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for the high cost of living, while 40% of people aged 25–44 cited it as the issue that concerns them most, according to a new poll by the Israel Democracy Institute. 

Inflation in Israel has skyrocketed with prices on everyday goods like milk, meat and eggs causing great concern in the general public.

Around two-thirds of Israelis cite the food prices as the most significant factor in the high cost of living.

According to the poll, around 75% of said they have been forced to give up “some type of expenditure” in the last year, while a majority said they gave up some sort of “leisure activity” such as going to the movies, shows, restaurant, or going on holiday.

27% chose not to buy a car, 14% refrained from purchasing an apartment and 12% cut back on education or health expenditure.

“The survey finds that the public distinguishes clearly between the responsibility of companies in the private sector and that of the government, and explicitly states that the government bears the main responsibility,” Daphna Aviram-Nitzan, director of the Center for Governance and the Economy at the Israel Democracy Institute said.

Prof. Itai Ater, Senior Fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, said the survey revealed that the public “expects the government to roll up its sleeves and do what it takes to bring prices down.”

Around two-thirds said that the country’s economic situation has worsened or significantly worsened since last year, while roughly half said that their personal financial situation worsened.

“This expectation is not being met in practice, and in the last month alone we have seen a wave of increases in food prices. The dam has burst, and almost all the major food companies have raised their prices, some of them significantly,” Prof. Ater said.

Israel’s economy has suffered several blows since the new government took over this year, mainly due to the uncertainty about the judicial overhaul which scared off foreign investors.