IDF soldiers pictured in Gaza in July, during Operation Protective Edge. Photo: Israel Defense Forces.

JNS.org – The 2014 Israeli Democracy Index study, which was published Sunday and submitted to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, showed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is the country’s most trusted institution.

In the Israel Democracy Institute’s study, the IDF earned the trust of 81.1 percent of Israeli Jewish respondents, followed by the president of Israel (71.2), the High Court (62), the Israel Police (45.1), the government (37), the Knesset (35.2), the Chief Rabbinate (29.1), and the media (28.4).

Two months before Knesset elections, more than 50 percent of the Israeli public agreed with the statement that “no matter who I vote for, it will not make a difference,” while 75 percent agreed that “politicians are more concerned about their personal interests than the public’s.”

“A lack of faith in public services and the system of governance constitutes a potentially fatal blow to democracy,” Rivlin said. “Proper management, transparency upon transparency, ethics of the elected and public officials—these are the key to restoring public faith in the system.”