A new poll has shown that Israeli Jews believe by an overwhelming margin of 80% to 10% that the idea that Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 armistice lines would bring Israel peace for generations is “simplistic and naïve.” Among supporters of the left-of-center Kadima Party, 85% take that view. The poll, conducted by the Maagar Mochot Survey Institute Poll during 28 October – 1 November, also found that Israeli Jews believe by an almost 2 to 1 margin – 45% to 23% – that implementation of President Shimon Peres’ proposal that the Palestinians form a sovereign Palestinian state without having to first reach an agreement with Israel on final status issues would promote instability and increase the ability of the Palestinians to threaten Israel’s security.
Other findings include the following:
· Israeli Jews believe by a margin of 50% to 29% that Israel today does not have a Palestinian partner for negotiations in light of Palestinian efforts to condemn Israel in the wake of the Goldstone Report.
· They also believe by a 2 to 1 margin – 48% to 24% – that Israel should not rely on international forces in security arrangements in any future Palestinian-Israeli peace plan.
· Israelis Jews by a margin of 38% to 29%, do not believe that it would be beneficial for Egyptian and Jordanian forces to deploy respectively in the Gaza Strip and West Bank (‘Maagar Mochot Poll finds Israeli Jews Wary of Efficacy of Security Arrangements, Pessimistic of PA and of Quick Peace Deals,’ November 4, 2009, Independent Media Review & Analysis).
These findings are consistent with some other recent poll results. For example, a February 2009 Maagar Mohot Survey Institute poll found that found that 52 percent of Israelis believe that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria lead to rocket fire on Jerusalem, Kfar Sava and other cities in central Israel, whereas only 22 percent believe it would not (‘Poll: Israelis oppose Palestinian State 51%:32% – 31% of Kadima voters would drop support if thought Kadima supports Pal State,’ Independent Media Review & Analysis, February 9, 2009). It is also consistent with the findings of a December 2008 War and Peace Index poll conducted by the B. I. Cohen Institute of Tel Aviv University which showed that Israeli Jews believe by a margin of 63% to 20% that “in reality, most of the Palestinians do not accept the existence of the State of Israel and would destroy it if they could, despite the fact that the PLO leadership is conducting peace negotiations with Israel” (‘Poll: Netanyahu most likely to advance peace,’ Yediot Ahronot, December 7, 2008).
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “This poll result validates other polls that shown that most Israelis today are reluctant to proceed with any further concessions to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and do not believe that such concessions, even up to and including the setting up of a Palestinian state, would bring the long awaited peace for which Israelis yearn.
“This poll also shows more clearly perhaps than others not only that Israeli Jews oppose various concessionary policies towards the Palestinians but the reason for this – their conviction that even setting up a Palestinian state on all the territories conquered in 1967 will not bring peace or genuine Palestinian acceptance of Israel’s permanence and legitimacy as a Jewish state.
“Put simply, a clear majority of the Israeli Jewish public believes that relinquishing historically Jewish and strategically vital territory to an enemy regime that has not changed its ways is wrong. 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 concession might be made, 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.”