Israeli Polls

Prof. Ephraim Yaar and Prof. Tamar Hermann; the Israeli peace index: 71% of Israelis think Israel should take Washington’s positions into account; 51% think FM Lieberman is damaging Israel’s status in the international community.

The index finds that 71.5% of the Israeli Jewish public supports holding talks with the Palestinians, with a clear majority of 62% supporting direct talks.

The War and Peace Index is written by Prof. Tamar Hermann and Prof. Ephraim Yaar, and funded by the Evans Program for Conflict Resolution Research of Tel Aviv University and The Israel Democracy Institute. The poll was conducted on 3-4 May 2010, and sampled 518 interviewees. Maximum margin of error is 4.5%.

The poll was commissioned by the Geneva Initiative and was conducted by the Gal Hahadash Research Institute on a representative sample of 600 Israelis (including Arab citizens and Russian-speaking immigrants). Margin of Error: 4.0%

The index finds that 44% of Yisrael Beiteinu voters would support evacuating all settlements in return for a full peace agreement with the Palestinians and ending the conflict with the Arab world –War and Peace Index

The poll, conducted by the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research at Tel Aviv University, finds that three-fourths of the Israeli Jewish public currently supports holding negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians—the highest level of support registered in recent years on the War and Peace Index.

According to the British Israel Communications’ briefing, which refers also to the opinion poll commissioned by the Geneva Initiative in October, Israelis remain supportive of a peaceful two-state solution with the Palestinians. A consistent majority of Jewish Israelis have supported the establishment of a Palestinian state since the late 1990s. However, whilst Israelis are ready to accept a Palestinian state, they are skeptical about the intentions of the Palestinians and the possibility of reaching a deal.

The poll also finds wide support for the notion that should PM Netanyahu take major political steps with the Palestinians, his support among the Israeli public would increase. The vast majority of Israelis support increasing American involvement in the process between Israel and the Palestinians. A decrease in the opposition and an increase in support have been found with respect to increasing European involvement.

Israel’s leading daily, Yediot Aharonot, published a poll (June 5th, 2009) which finds that the majority of Israelis support the establishment of a Palestinian state and the US demand to freeze construction in settlements.