On balance, Jews see settlements as helpful to Israel’s security. The building of Jewish settlements in the West Bank has been a highly controversial issue amid ongoing violence between Israelis and Palestinians. Many foreign governments and a United Nations panel consider these settlements illegal under international law. Israel’s government disputes this interpretation. A plurality of Israeli Jews (42%) say the settlements help the security of Israel, while 35% said settlements hurt the security of their country, and 27% felt settlements make no difference. Two years later, the new survey shows more Israeli Jews see settlements as beneficial. Roughly four-in-ten (42%, up from 31%) now say the building of settlements helps the security of their country