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Last update - 15:03 01/01/2009
Poll: Most Israelis support continuing Gaza military op
By Yossi Verter, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Tags: Gaza, Israel News, Hamas 

A decisive majority of respondents support continuing the army's air campaign against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip without endangering the lives of Israel Defense Forces soldiers in a ground offensive, according to a Haaretz-Dialog public opinion poll.

Only about 20 percent of respondents support expanding the operation into a ground campaign - about the same proportion that supports an immediate cease-fire.


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According to the survey, 52 percent of Israelis favor continuing the air assault against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, though just 19 percent say the Israel Defense Forces should launch an extensive ground incursion.

In contrast, 19 percent of respondents say the government should negotiate a cease-fire as soon as possible. Nine percent say they had no opinion or refused to answer.

The Labor Party has emerged the biggest political winner of the war against Hamas so far, according to the poll.

Labor and its head, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, have made significant gains, bringing the left-wing to a 60:60 draw against right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties.

Just a week ago, before the offensive, the poll gave the right bloc 65 MKs and the left 53 plus two for the Pensioners. While Likud actually gained support in the past week, it came at the expense of other right-wing parties.

Labor, on the other hand, is mostly pulling votes away from parties such as the Pensioners, Meretz and the various environmentalist parties.

According to the survey, conducted Wednesday under the supervision of Professor Camil Fuchs of Tel Aviv University, if the Knesset elections were to be held today both of the main blocs would find it hard to form a government unless one of the parties were to defect to the rival side.

Just five days into the war, though, Israeli casualties have been minimal and there is an overall sense that the operation is a military success.

Experience teaches that the poll numbers could change very quickly with any complication in the fighting. During the first week of the Second Lebanon War, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and then defense minister Amir Peretz enjoyed unprecedented popularity ratings of 75 percent and 80 percent, respectively. Two months later those ratings fell by about 90 percent.

As expected, Barak and Labor are the main beneficiaries of the war, for now. The latest poll has added 5 Knesset seats to Labor. Likud and Kadima gained two and one MK, respectively.

At this stage the war bodes well for the three leading parties. Most of the public reportedly believes that in time of war it's best to vote for parties whose candidates are experienced, such as former chiefs of staff, prime ministers and defense and foreign ministers.

Barak's personal fortunes improved sharply, with 53 percent of poll respondents expressing satisfaction with his performance (compared to just 34 percent about six months ago). A larger number, 38 percent, are dissatisfied with him but that is nevertheless a significant improvement over the 52 percent disapproval rating of six months ago.

Olmert, too, has gotten a popularity boost, with a 33 percent popularity rating this week compared to an average of 14 percent since the Second Lebanon War, about two and a half years ago.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu are also getting good grades from the public for their performances in recent days.
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  1.   FINALLY WE KNOW WHAT ISRAEL IS ALL ABOUT 11:12  |  indrajaya 01/01/09
  2.   not surprising 11:16  |  ravi 01/01/09
  3.   Current war 14:08  |  Leslie Sternberg 01/01/09
  4.   Indrajaya - you are so wrong.... 14:11  |  Kilburn Towers 01/01/09
  5.   to ravi no 2 14:16  |  Tina 01/01/09
  6.   conclusion is 14:19  |  wise owl 01/01/09
  7.   Israel 14:37  |  Carolyn Straus 01/01/09
  8.   FINALLY WE KNOW WHAT ISRAEL IS ALL ABOUT 14:41  |  MrRad 01/01/09
  9.   My Poll 14:44  |  Cool B 01/01/09
  10.   What will the politicians do 14:48  |  GalileeHero 01/01/09
  11.   continue Gaza op 14:50  |  J. B. 01/01/09
  12.   Most Israelis are blind putting security cart before peace horse 14:59  |  Ivar 01/01/09
  13.   #6 GalileeHero 15:32  |  Peter 01/01/09
  14.   what should they do? not look at the polls 15:32  |  Avi 01/01/09
  15.   to #1 Indrajaya 15:53  |  El_Justiciero 01/01/09
  16.   Ivar -- how`s that war cart working for the Palestinians? 16:00  |  SDHD 01/01/09
  17.   The question not asked 16:07  |  Mark Lincoln 01/01/09
  18.   Do not to thy neighbour what is hateful to thyself 16:39  |  Josephus 01/01/09
  19.   The Real Problem 16:42  |  Joshua 01/01/09
  20.   Unlawfulness has nothing to do with popularity... 16:47  |  Dutch 01/01/09
  21.   How many times!!!???? 16:47  |  History repeated 01/01/09
  22.   War is a Livni and Arab conspiracy to trick Israeli voters 16:50  |  Kayla 01/01/09
  23.   Mark Lincoln re boots on the ground 16:53  |  Labhras 01/01/09
  24.   To El Justiciero: Israel MUST Fight, Fight, Fight 17:12  |  Dav Lev 01/01/09
  25.   Keep Fighting 17:20  |  Mel Wilde 01/01/09
  26.   Gaza attack 17:42  |  007 01/01/09
  27.   Dutch 17:43  |  Ron 01/01/09
  28.   Leslie Sternberg - you are very ignorant 17:53  |  Sylvie 01/01/09
  29.   When believing in GOD is being BLIND 18:40  |  John 01/01/09
  30.   Let a jew and an IDF veteran explain why 19:07  |  hollingsworth 01/01/09
  31.   27 Ron, The fault line... 19:32  |  Dutch 01/01/09
  32.   peaceful coexistance 19:35  |  al 01/01/09
  33.   To: John 19:37  |  Angel 01/01/09
  34.   Kudos to Joshua! 21:56  |  Save The Gazans 01/01/09
  35.   Terror MUST be bombed out of Gaza once and for all 22:54  |  Harvey 01/01/09
  36.   #35 Harvey 00:35  |  alan 02/01/09
  37.   The important numbers are up! 02:22  |  Mark Lincoln 02/01/09
  38.   #3 Leslie in staten island 02:35  |  Dovi 02/01/09
  39.   tidy up the loose ends 02:37  |  Matt 02/01/09
  40.   #7 Carolyn, A jew in the US 02:40  |  Dovi 02/01/09
  41.   To Sylvie # 28 02:41  |  Andrei 02/01/09
  42.   Make Hamas surrender 02:52  |  Baruch Gold 02/01/09
  43.   to #28 Sylvie, I loved your answer, thank you 03:20  |  kaled 02/01/09
  44.   #37 Mark Lincoln, it is not over yet 03:47  |  Mark B. 02/01/09
  45.   Who are the Israelis to cause all this pain to the Palestinians? 04:37  |  Ahmed the Palestinia 02/01/09
  46.   Me too. Here is why. 04:44  |  Fortuna Benmayor 02/01/09
  47.   Time to Stop 04:44  |  gil62 02/01/09
  48.   #41 gil62 05:42  |  Malone 02/01/09
  49.   Israeli blood lust not yet subsiding 06:29  |  Pablo B 02/01/09
  50.   B`tselem 09:33  |  Alu 02/01/09
  51.   Why Israel Is wrong? 18:12  |  Rafay 02/01/09
  52.   Arabs are troublemakers of the world. 04:57  |  NMF 04/01/09
  53.   RS 10:07  |  Sharon 09/01/09
 Read & React
Gideon Levy: Gaza war ended in utter failure for Israel
Responses: 116
Editorial: Israel should launch its own probe into Gaza war crimes
Responses: 37
Yossi Melman: Obama plan to talk buys Iran time for nuclear program
Responses: 25
Israel Harel: Like in Lebanon, IDF displayed mediocrity in Gaza
Responses: 27
Gadhafi: U.S. should seek peace with Osama bin Laden
Responses: 18


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