Roughly 1 million voters in Israel are immigrants from the former Soviet Union, part of a broader Russian-speaking community that makes up about 15% of the population.
New survey of immigrants from former Soviet Unionpresented at a conference in Jerusalem found that nearly 70% do not want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remain in office, and that an overwhelming 94% support making it mandatory bill for all Israeli citizens, highlighting the potential of this sector to influence the next national elections.
The results were released Tuesday evening at a pre-election conference entitled “Politics, Media and Economics among Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union,” held at Jerusalem Comprehensive College, the former Hadassah Academic College.
Roughly 1 million voters in Israel are immigrants from the former Soviet Union, part of a broader Russian-speaking community that makes up about 15% of the population. The conference explored whether this group could once again become a decisive factor in the upcoming elections.
The representative survey of 663 respondents, all immigrants from the former Soviet Union over the years, was conducted by Lazar Research as part of a study led by Dr. Elina Bardach-Yalova, a member of the college's Politics and Communication program and former Yisrael Beytenu Knesset member.
The poll shows that 94% of respondents support a mandatory bill for all Israeli citizens, with little difference between political camps. This position goes beyond the current public debate regarding the integration of the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) sector into Israel Defense Forces or national service structure. This suggests that former Soviet immigrants overwhelmingly support the idea of one law for all.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews fight with police during a protest against the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews outside an IDF recruitment center in Jerusalem, November 12, 2025. (Photo: HAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90)
Support for stricter measures against terrorism is also high, with 75% supporting a death penalty law for convicted terrorists.
Survey of immigrants from the former Soviet Union shows disappointment with Israeli political decisions
The survey shows deep disappointment with the country's development trajectory. Seventy-two percent of those surveyed said they were dissatisfied with the direction Israel was heading.
Sixty-eight percent cited the cost of living as the issue they are most concerned about, followed by personal safety and national security at 56%. Thirty-seven percent said the most important issue to them is the separation of religion and state.
According to data presented at the event, more than half of respondents oppose the government's plans to reform the judicial system, while only about 20% support them.
Despite the criticism, immigrants still express a strong emotional connection to Israel. Forty-four percent said what they liked most about the country was the sense of belonging and home.
A second Lazar Research study, also presented at the conference, examined the economic situation of former Soviet immigrants. Nearly 74% reported dissatisfaction with the government's monetary policy, but there was a noticeable increase in optimism about their personal financial situation compared to previous indicators.
On the political front, the poll shows that Yisrael Beytenu remains the strongest party among immigrants from the former Soviet Union. 23% of respondents said they intend to vote for party leader Avigdor Lieberman in the next election, equivalent to about 3.5 Knesset seats if the sector is considered a single constituency.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett came in second with 17%, or about two and a half seats, winning the support of voters who otherwise supported Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid, Benny Gantz's National Unity Party, Yisrael Beytenu and Likud.
The survey also revealed differences between older and newer waves of immigrants. Among those who came to Israel between 2022 and 2025, Likud MK Yuli Edelstein was the most popular, with 37% support, followed by Lieberman with 32%.
Overall, 69% of respondents indicated that they do not want Netanyahu hold the post of prime minister.
Speaking at the conference, Yisrael Beytenu party chairman Lieberman issued one of his familiar warnings about the long-term impact of Israel's demographic and fiscal trends.
“Israel is 20 percent Arab and 16 percent Haredi,” he said. “This is the mass of 36 percent who think only about how to exploit the state. The state will collapse. They are building a state within a state. It will not stand. It is impossible to bear.”
Lieberman also criticized the government's 2026 budget, which has not yet been approved, calling it a “horror film.” He claimed that “everything was cut except for the coalition funds, which they did not dare touch.”
Edelstein, who took part in the bill's consideration, detailed his failed attempt to reach a compromise on the haredi conscription.
“I thought that I would be able to introduce a bill, that we would achieve a real recruitment in large quantities that would meet the needs of the IDF,” he said. “I was deeply mistaken. After two years of discussions, it turned out that not only was there no desire to do something real, but the goal function on the other hand was completely different.”
Although Edelstein stated that his goal was “to find a suitable compromise and begin a process that within two to three years will provide an answer,” he stated that the goal of those sitting opposite him was “how to get more benefits, how to pass a law that would relieve the pressure and restore subsidies, and at the same time would not conscript too many members of the Haredi public into the IDF. That's what blew everything up.”
“We have no choice but to succeed with this legislation,” Edelstein added.
“If before we talked about such important values as equal rights and a people's army, now we have reached a practical level. These are the most basic needs of the IDF. I look at some of my colleagues on the right and I don’t understand how someone can say that we should never give up Judea and Samaria, but not support the real bill. Without additional forces, we cannot defend the country.”
Edelstein emphasized that “our Haredi friends will have to join these efforts, but not all of them and not overnight. There will be Torah scholars who will remain to study Torah.”
He also rejected a proposal by MP Avi Maoz to change Israel's Law of Return, which grants the right to immigrate and obtain citizenship to Jews and some non-Jewish family members.
“I hope that doesn’t happen,” Edelstein said. “I have a very consistent position. I tell everyone who comes with all sorts of suggestions, don't touch it. Don't start changing it. It's a problematic law. If we challenge it in the High Court, we'll be in trouble from A to Z. There's the Law of Return. It's not all rosy, but it's always worth remembering that you know where you start and you don't know where you end up, and in the end we may end up being a Jewish and Zionist state without the Law.” return.”
