A new poll has shown that nearly two-thirds of Israelis – 62% – oppose any negotiations with the Palestinian Authority (PA) over Jerusalem, as opposed to 29% who favor this course. The poll was conducted by Brains’ Trust Interdisciplinary Research and Consulting Institute for the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. The poll also showed that 61% of Israelis believe that, were parts of Jerusalem to be ceded to the PA as part of a final status peace settlement, Palestinian demands upon Israel with respect to Jerusalem would not cease; terrorism against Israel would not cease (69%); and that there was “high chance” that areas of Jerusalem ceded to the PA would serve as the base for new acts of terror (56%). Moreover, were Jerusalem to be negotiated with the PA, 71% of Israelis believe that the Israeli government would have to secure the support of the public through a referendum for the proposed deal before signing it (‘Poll on Jewish Public Opinion on Dividing Jerusalem (strong opposition),’ Independent Media Review & Analysis, April 13, 2008).

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “Israelis are clearly showing, by the sort of results in this poll and others in recent years, that they do not trust the PA as being a genuine peace partner whose signature on a peace settlement would actually mean anything. Quite clearly, most Israelis believe that whatever parts of Jerusalem might be ceded in a hypothetical peace agreement, the PA would never honor it, Palestinian demands and terror would not cease, and Israel’s position, to say nothing of the security and tranquility of Jerusalem, would be drastically affected. Again, we urge the Olmert government to heed the Israeli public and the dictates of common sense and make no more concessions to the PA, especially any leading to Palestinian statehood and the division of Jerusalem.”