Divers with Israeli flag underwater. Photo: wiki commons.

It might be hard to believe when you look at recent newspaper headlines, but 93 percent of Israelis are proud to be Israeli, and the majority, 70 percent, even describe themselves as “very proud.”

These facts and more emerge from a special poll Israel Hayom conducted in honor of Independence Day, in cooperation with The New Wave Research institute. The poll surveyed a representative sample of 500 Israelis, with a margin of error of 4.5 percent.

Other data from the poll also paint a picture of prevailing optimism in 2012. For example, more than 80 percent of respondents say they prefer to live in Israel over any other place in the world, and only 9 percent would rather live abroad. About 83 percent intend to display their national pride by flying a flag outside their house or on their car.