This poll and its interpretation presents a picture of an increasingly hawkish Israeli public, however, this hawkishness is against Hamas and not the PA. The poll indicates a high % of satisfaction with Netanyahu, and a significant % of Israelis still favoring a two-state solution. This is worthwhile reading and pondering. One can also sense a distancing between hawkish Israelis and liberal American Jews. Read this very important poll and conclude for yourself. Lilly
Israelis Agree With Bibi
In the wake of the flotilla controversy, Israelis resoundingly back their government’s stance on Gaza. By David Pollock (ForeignPolicy.com)
A reliable new poll of Israeli public opinion shows that attitudes on the Gaza blockade are heavily hawkish — in diametric opposition not only to most international reactions, but also much of the Israeli media’s own commentary. This finding is the first detailed measurement of Israeli views following the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) violent boarding of the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara, which resulted in the deaths of nine people. The poll surveyed Israeli Jewish opinion and was conducted by telephone interviews on June 7 by Pechter Middle East Polls, a young, Princeton, N.J.-based survey research and analysis firm working with pollsters throughout the region.
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These findings, however, do not spell doom for hopes of a negotiated settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Crucially, the Israeli public’s stance on Gaza coexists with relatively dovish views on other key Palestinian issues. For nearly a decade now, even during wars or major surges in terrorist attacks, a solid majority of Israeli Jews have consistently supported a two-state solution to the dispute. This fundamental fact was again attested as recently as March, in the latest Hebrew University/Truman Institute poll, which showed 68 percent in favor of that option. Moreover, that poll showed a narrow majority explicitly willing to accept “dismantling most of the settlements” in the West Bank as the price for peace.
Netanyahu’s challenge is to translate these opinions into a policy that can bring both long-term security and peace to his people. Given the Israeli public’s hawkish views toward Hamas-ruled Gaza, but their willingness to explore concessions in the West Bank under Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the most realistic way forward is surprisingly straightforward: Keep pushing Israel and the Palestinian Authority toward new, practical, political agreements. Find better ways to help the people of Gaza, but not their Hamas rulers — whom Israelis rightly view as a threat, not only to their own security, but also to any prospect of Palestinian-Israeli peace. In other words, work with Abbas, against Hamas.
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