Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., August 30, 2008 Av 29, 5768 | | Israel Time: 08:04 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu (Archive).
Last update - 10:24 03/07/2007
Poll: 70% of Israelis back 2-state pact, 63% oppose Golan pull-out
By Ephraim Yaar and Tamar Hermann

Seventy percent of the Israeli Jewish public presently supports a peace agreement with the Palestinians based on the "two states for two peoples" formula, but a clear majority believes that this is not achievable in the near future.

The Peace Index poll carried out last week showed that 26.5 percent of Israeli Jews oppose such an agreement.

Asked whether they believed it possible to reach an agreement based on this formula in the near future, 39 percent replied that it is possible and 55 percent that it is not.
Advertisement
More than 60 percent of respondents also said they opposed the concept of a full withdrawal from the Golan Heights in return for full peace treaty with Syria.

When respondents were asked who among the leaders of the three large parties could, in the public's view, best safeguard Israel's security interests while advancing the chances for peace, the findings showed 38 percent of the Israeli Jewish public favoring Benjamin Netanyahu, 24 percent Ehud Barak and 5.5 percent Ehud Olmert. Twenty-four percent of the public rejects all three and the rest (8.5 percent) have no clear position on the matter.

The prevailing pessimistic assessment of the chances of the two-state formula is apparently linked to the fact that about half the public thinks the Mahmoud Abbas government will be unable to prevent a Hamas takeover of the West Bank even if it receives assistance from Israel and other countries (43 percent of people think it will be able to prevent it and the rest do not know).

Despite and perhaps because of this, 54 percent support providing assistance to the Abbas government (compared to 41 percent who oppose it and 5 percent who do not know). The overwhelming majority (67 percent), however, would condition such assistance on the Abbas government fulfilling the Israeli government's prior demands such as recognizing Israel and putting a stop to terrorism. Only 22.5 percent support assistance without conditions, 4 percent oppose it under any conditions, and the rest do not know.

As for the types of assistance, a majority supports releasing the frozen Palestinian funds (54.5 percent in favor, 39 percent against) but a larger majority opposes providing weapons (79 percent) and removing checkpoints (71 percent).

Regarding prisoner releases as well, the rate of opponents (54 percent) is higher than that of supporters (39 percent). As for humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in Gaza by allowing the provision of medicine, foods, and other essential items, a clear majority of 58 percent thinks Israel should do so even on the assumption that such aid is likely to strengthen the Hamas government there, with 40 percent opposed.

On the Syrian issue, the occasional reports of Bashar Assad's readiness to reach a peace agreement with Israel apparently have not affected the Israeli Jewish public's consistent opposition to full withdrawal from the Golan Heights in return for a full peace treaty, with rates of opposition and support at 63 percent and 20 percent, respectively. Fourteen percent are ambivalent and the rest do not know. The opposition to an agreement seems to stem, at least in part, from the near-unanimous (85 percent) assessment that Syria would not be prepared, in return for the Golan, to cut off its relations with Iran and end its support for Hezbollah, Hamas and other Palestinian terror organizations whose leaders are based in Damascus.


The Peace Index Project is conducted at the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research and the Evens Program in Mediation and Conflict Resolution of Tel Aviv University, headed by Prof. Ephraim Yaar and Prof. Tamar Hermann. The telephone interviews were conducted by the B. I. Cohen Institute of Tel Aviv University on June 26-27, 2007, and included 580 interviewees who represent the adult Jewish and Arab population of Israel (including the territories and the kibbutzim). The sampling error for a sample of this size is 4.5%
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Hezbollah's surprise
Al-Quds al-Arabi: Hezbollah has new missiles with a range 'Israel can't even fathom.'
Hot 100
Tzipi Livni is featured in Forbes magazine's list of the world's most powerful women.
  1.   The majority support a Jewish State Survival Plan 09:07  |  Meir Weinstein 03/07/07
  2.   99% OF ISRAELIS DO NOT SUPPORT 09:27  |  THIRTYSOMETHING 03/07/07
  3.   Who are these nuts? 09:46  |  Moshavnik 03/07/07
  4.   Poll question for Israelis: Would you prefer that the only nation 10:11  |  Uzi 03/07/07
  5.   Poll suggestion: Is it possible to have both a democratic state 10:21  |  Reuven 03/07/07
  6.   makes sense to me 10:45  |  bbl 03/07/07
  7.   Israel`s survival depends on becoming an asset to its neighbors 10:54  |  Ivar 03/07/07
  8.   Response to Meir 10:59  |  Shai 03/07/07
  9.   #6 NO TOO A 2 STATE 11:30  |  Miriam 03/07/07
  10.   # 1 hey meir...eeeyo!...wake up now!!...wake up...child! 11:44  |  eric 03/07/07
  11.   Can somebody explain???? 11:45  |  David 03/07/07
  12.   #4 Uzi _ Ask Jordan, not us 11:53  |  Yonatan 03/07/07
  13.   #5 A very good and very frightening question 12:00  |  Yonatan 03/07/07
  14.   70% of Israelis 12:21  |  JordanisPalestine 03/07/07
  15.   # 8 shai, with my best regards 12:28  |  eric 03/07/07
  16.   Why are we STILL waiting for Abbas to recognize Israel?? 12:37  |  Kenny 03/07/07
  17.   Wrong question 13:20  |  guido 03/07/07
  18.   #17 Guido - "favorable" is a relative term 14:34  |  Yonatan 03/07/07
  19.   #7-Ivar 17:38  |  Observer 03/07/07
  20.   #16 waiting for Abbas---- 17:49  |  Observer 03/07/07
  21.   UNFORTUNATELY, IT WILL NOT WORK 17:53  |  Jayson 03/07/07
  22.   Israeli SLAMBASHADORS provoking radical Islamic uprising 20:27  |  Ivar 03/07/07
  23.   #22 to Ivar 03:27  |  Observer 04/07/07
  24.   if 60 years ago the partition was israel and palestine , today th 13:35  |  michele 04/07/07
  25.   to 23 you would like to believe this to justify your country.... 13:39  |  michele 04/07/07
  26.   25: Michele, you have it backwards 09:50  |  David Teich 05/07/07
  27.   SYRIA SHOULD BE THE ONE TO PULL OF THE GOLAN FOR A PEACE TREATY 01:49  |  PalestineMythology 18/07/07
  28.   #27 ??????????? 07:44  |  steve 30/08/08
 Read & React
Republican Jews: Choice of Palin as VP shows McCain's good judgment
Responses: 174
Obama: You can't protect Israel by talking tough in Washington
Responses: 101
Jonathan Spyer: Fatah never gave up dream of one-state solution
Responses: 74
Jews visit demolished W. Bank settlement for 1st time since pullout
Responses: 46


More Headlines
22:43 Republican Jews: Picking Palin as VP demonstrates McCain's good judgment
21:20 Nigerian group demands $12m ransom for kidnapped Israeli
03:03 Gaza blockade-busting boats planning a second voyage
17:02 Report: Hezbollah's new missiles have range 'Israel can't fathom'
17:28 Mother says she drowned 4-year-old son because he was 'burden on her'
23:28 Obama: You don't protect Israel, deter Iran by talking tough in D.C.
13:09 Forbes features Livni on list of world's most powerful women
00:37 Abie Nathan laid to rest; Peres: 'he was greatest freedom fighter'
16:23 Olmert to hold further talks with Abbas on Sunday
16:51 Serbia to seek extradition of alleged ex-Nazi living in U.S.
18:04 Police quiz Olmert's wife on purchase of Jerusalem home
12:47 Rose's mother was under lover's 'guru-like influence,' says best friend
02:59 Jerusalem official: Hamas ups ante in Shalit deal
04:53 Hezbollah downs Lebanese chopper, thinking it Israeli
Previous Editions
Special Offers
Advertisement
Fattal Hotel Chain
Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel.
Jewish Singles Personal Ads
Find the love of your life on JDate.com
MBA in Israel in English
APPLY NOW! Limited spaces available
Israel's Premier Real Estate Website
www. israel-property.com
Hebrew Summer courses
From $39.95
ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel
Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |
Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel
birthright Israel | Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved