Nearly half of Israelis are pessimistic about country's future - poll

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Nearly half of Israelis are pessimistic about country's future - poll
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/society/1682161590-nearly-half-of-israelis-are-pessimistic-about-country-s-future-poll

Only 20 percent think the situation will improve

A new poll released on Sunday showed that nearly half of Israelis believe the future of the country does not look bright.

When asked whether the situation in Israel will be better or worse in the coming years, 48 percent answered that the situation will be worse. Only 20 percent think the situation will improve, while 19 percent say there will be no change and 13 percent said they don't know. 553 men and women aged 18 and over participated in the survey conducted by the Kanter Institute with a margin of error of 4.2 percent.

In addition, 47 percent of Israelis oppose the participation of politicians in the Memorial Day ceremony to be held on Monday, according to the poll. Only 32 percent support the participation and 21 percent couldn't make up their mind about the issue.

Among opposition voters, 61 percent oppose politicians' participation in the ceremonies, and among coalition supporters, only 29 percent oppose it. Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Opposition leader Yair Lapid and National Unity party head Benny Gantz issued a joint statement urging everyone to "leave all disputes this memorial day outside the military cemeteries."

The annual Memorial Day commemorates fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. It is usually attended by the government officials. However, this year relatives of many fallen soldiers asked politicians to refrain from participating in the events to avoid disputes and confrontations.

For more than three months, Israelis have been divided over the issue of the controversial judicial reform that has sparked widespread protests across the country, forcing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to freeze the plan until July.