Some 51% of Israelis are currently pessimistic about the future of the nation, according to a survey conducted by Israel's Channel 12 news.
By contrast, 43% of the Israeli public expressed optimism about the future as the modern Jewish state prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary with Independence Day celebrations.
Some 6% of respondents answered that they did not know whether they were optimistic or pessimistic about the country's future.
The Israeli public broadcaster, Kan, also recorded pessimism in its poll that was published on Friday.
Some 48% of the respondents answered that they believe Israel's situation will deteriorate in the future. By contrast, only 20% believe the current situation will change for the better in the future. An additional 13% said they were unsure about the future.
It appears that the national gloom has been entrenched in recent months, fueled by sharp societal divisions caused by the government's controversial judicial overhaul plan.
According to Kan's poll, 6% of the respondents were more pessimistic today than they were after last November's election.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to protest against the government's planned legal reforms over the past four months.
Despite the current domestic strife, however, the Jewish state has reached impressive achievements as it prepares to celebrate 75 years since its founding in May 1948.
Israel has remarkably developed from a poor agrarian society into a technological powerhouse with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita that exceeds those of the United Kingdom, France, and Japan.
The Jewish state today has the world's largest Jewish population and one of the world's strongest and most capable military forces.
In addition, Israel recently ranked as the world's fourth happiest country, according to the latest United Nations World Happiness Report. The data was compiled before judicial reform protests began.
This article originally appeared on All Israel News and is reposted with permission.