Crisis of confidence: What does the Arab public think of its leaders?
A new survey points to an erosion of trust in political leadership: 64% believe their trust in public figures is lower than before, and 61% believe the younger generation finds it difficult to trust office holders.
The political arena in Arab society is characterized by division and tension as the Knesset elections approach, against the backdrop of the growing split between Arab parties.
In this context, data from a new public opinion survey conducted by the "Afkar" institute among 402 participants, to be presented as part of the "Makan Talks" program on the Makan channel, point to a sharp erosion in the level of trust in traditional leadership alongside a strong desire to refresh the political ranks.
The survey results show that 64% of participants agree to a large or very large extent that their personal trust in public and political figures is lower than it was in the past, while 61% noted that, in their opinion, the younger generation is less willing to express trust in office holders.
As an expression of the deepening crisis of confidence, 74% of respondents expressed the view that Arab society is now in urgent need of new public figures and leadership that will represent it and address its aspirations.
These data have special significance considering the qualitative composition of the survey sample (402 respondents). Besides being representative and balanced from a demographic and geographic perspective, it recorded a particularly prominent representation of those with academic education – 45% of all participants. This high presence of the educated and influential layer reflects a critical position regarding the existing political reality.
These data point to a growing and deepening gap between the public and the traditional political system, and raise questions regarding the impact of the split between the Arab parties on public sentiment and voter turnout in the upcoming elections.
