Half of Israelis Believe Scientists Disagree on Human-Caused Climate Change
A new survey found that 50% of Israelis believe scientists are divided on whether humans cause climate change, even though peer-reviewed research shows effectively unanimous agreement on the question.
A new Israeli survey reveals that 50% of Israelis think scientists are divided on whether humans cause climate change - despite a 100% consensus in peer-reviewed research. The divide tracks coalition vs. opposition supporters more than left vs. right.
Should Israeli schools do more to teach the scientific consensus on climate change?
- Yes
- No opinion
- No
The scientific consensus that human activity is driving climate change is one of the most thoroughly documented findings in modern research, with peer-reviewed studies showing agreement at or near 100%, according to Haaretz (HE). Yet a new Israeli survey reported by Haaretz (HE) found that half of all Israelis believe scientists are still divided on the issue - a widespread misconception with real consequences for how climate policy is understood and debated. The same survey found that the divide in Israel does not follow the familiar left-right axis but runs instead between supporters of the governing coalition and supporters of the opposition, suggesting that political identity, rather than ideological tradition alone, shapes how Israelis perceive scientific facts. Critics of the current school curriculum argue that if students leave the system without understanding that climate science is settled, they are ill-equipped to evaluate policy debates that will shape their lives. Defenders of the status quo may argue that schools already cover climate topics adequately, or that questions of emphasis in the curriculum should be decided locally rather than mandated from above. The gap between scientific reality and public perception raises the question of whether formal education is doing enough to convey not just climate facts but the nature of scientific agreement itself.
Answering yes means you believe Israeli schools should give greater weight to teaching that the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change is overwhelming, so that students can distinguish settled science from manufactured doubt. Answering no means you think the current level of climate education is sufficient, or that the curriculum should not be directed toward a particular framing of scientific agreement, even one that is broadly accepted. The poll is trying to surface how Israelis feel about the role schools should play in correcting a widespread public misconception about science.