In the Geneva Initiative poll of Israeli public opinion carried out this month by the professional polling company Midgam, we see that over half of Israelis (52.8%) support the new government opening political negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. A significant majority of the Israeli public (66.8%) also support the continuation of security coordination with the Palestinian Authority (compared to only 13.4% who think security coordination with the Palestinian Authority should not continue).
The poll also shows that over half of Israelis (55.1%) are in favour of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting with the head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, and that the majority of the Israeli public (61.2%) is in favour of the freezing of Israeli building in the settlements, if it lends to a peace agreement being reached with Saudi Arabia (compared to 25.9% who oppose this).
Following the election results and establishment of the new government, the majority of Israelis (52.6%) feel pessimistic about the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and think that the new government will be harmful for democracy in the State of Israel (50.5%).
Reflecting on the results of the poll, Gadi Baltiansky, the Geneva Initiative’s Director-General, said that: “The public is saner than its government. Most want dialogue, a political process with the Palestinians and are prepared to compromise. There must be no surrender to the extreme and fanatical minority.”
Read the Haaretz article for an analysis of the poll results.
