Israeli youth are highly motivated to serve in IDF but don't trust senior leadership, survey finds
The IDSF found that over 60% of participants view the IDF as a "victorious army," compared to just 13% who disagreed with that statement.
A recent survey conducted by the IDSF in August 2026 reveals that while many Israeli youth are highly motivated to serve in the IDF, they do not trust senior leadership. The survey, which polled 377 teenagers aged 16-18, found that 77% of young Israelis feel highly motivated to serve in the IDF, with a significant number - around 57% - expressing a strong desire to serve in a combat unit.
Despite their motivation, trust in the IDF's senior command is lacking. Over 60% of participants view the IDF as a victorious army, while only 13% disagree with this statement. However, the survey found that only 30% of the participants had high levels of trust in the IDF's senior command, with 41% expressing low or very low trust.
The most popular role for teenagers wanting to serve in the IDF was the infantry unit, chosen by almost 40% of the respondents. The Armored Corps followed at 14% popularity. Other popular roles included Border Police, Air Force, and Education and Youth Corps. Interestingly, teenagers expressed the greatest desire to serve in a combat unit in 2026, with a lower desire to serve in Home Front Command positions.
The survey also found that the type of education received and the religious nature of that education were the biggest motivators for teenagers to want to serve in the IDF. Parent's army service was the second greatest motivation. The IDSF conducted this survey in 2026, showing a shift in trends compared to previous years, with a rapid increase in desire to serve in a combat unit from 2024, followed by a steady increase through 2025 and 2026.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
