Poll: 84% of Israeli Jews against Palestinian Prisoner Release

by Israel Hayom Staff

Israel Hayom poll: A majority believe peace process should not entail the release of deadly terrorists and the return to the 1967 borders, but two-state solution still popular • 73.1% say new talks will not produce an agreement that resolves conflict.

Blood on their hands. Palestinian terrorists released in previous deals. | Photo credit: Reuters

The vast majority of Israeli Jews are against the release of Palestinian terrorists "with blood on their hands" as a means of restarting peace talks with the Palestinians, a poll commissioned by Israel Hayom has found. 

Almost 85 percent of Israeli Jews are against the release of terrorists who have committed deadly attacks as a means of facilitating the upcoming peace talks, the poll shows (9.4% said they would support such a move and 5.7% had no opinion). A smaller proportion (78.1%) said such Palestinian terrorists should not be released even after the talks resumed and even if such a move was contingent on progress in the peace process (13.7% support this, with 8.2% having no opinion). 

The poll was conducted by New Wave Research on Wednesday. Five hundred adult respondents comprising a random and representative sample of Israel's Hebrew-speaking Jewish population were polled. The statistical margin of error is +/-4.4%.

In addition, 61.6% said that should an agreement with the Palestinians be reached, a national referendum must be held on its merits (29.9% were either against a plebiscite or said a cabinet decision would suffice and 8.5% had no opinion). A majority of respondents (54.5%) said they would vote against a deal in which Israel makes territorial concessions and essentially withdraws to the 1967 borders (26.7% said they would support such a deal and 18.8% had no opinion).

According to the poll, 52.7% are "in principle" for a two-state solution, while 36.8% are opposed (10.5% had no opinion). 

Almost two thirds (62.7%) were in favor of resuming the peace talks (28.1% were opposed and 9.2% had no opinion), although an overwhelming majority -- 73.1% -- said negotiations would not lead to a permanent accord that would resolve the conflict (only 5.3% said the talks would conclude with a peace deal, while 21.6% had no opinion). 

As for the likelihood of an agreement passing a referendum, 55.1% of those polled said such a prospect was unlikely (24.8% said the referendum would pass and 20.1% had no opinion).

Israel Hayom Staff

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=10959

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.