Most Israelis and Palestinians view the chances of establishing an independent
Palestinian state within the next five years as low or nonexistent, a new joint
Israeli-Palestinian poll reported.
Meanwhile, the majority of Israelis
oppose military intervention in Syria and an unaided strike on Iran, the latter
of which they agree could spark the eruption of a major regional war, according
to the survey.
The joint poll, supported by the Ford Foundation in Cairo
and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Ramallah and Jerusalem, was conducted by the
Hebrew University’s Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of
Peace and the Palestinian Center for Policy.
Regarding the
Israeli-Palestinian peace process, 71 percent of Israelis and 68% of
Palestinians surveyed viewed the chances for establishing an independent
Palestinian state within the next five years to be minimal.
Nonetheless,
60% of the Israelis and 65% of the Palestinians opposed a one-state solution
with equal rights between Arabs and Jews, according to the poll. Only 36% of
Israelis and 31% of Palestinians supported such a solution.
The poll also
looked at a newly published plan that would involve Israel taking unilateral
steps regarding the West Bank – including expressing willingness to return to
negotiations, reneging any claims of sovereignty east of the West Bank security
barrier, ending construction in settlements and in east Jerusalem neighborhoods
and bringing back settlers east of the security barrier with
compensation.
Under this plan, the IDF would remain in the West Bank
until a final status agreement would be reached, and the plan could take place
either unilaterally or with Palestinian cooperation, according to the survey
information.
In response, 44% of Israelis surveyed supported the plan and
46% opposed it, while 35% of Palestinians backed the plan and 59% were against
it.
Of those polled, 38% of Israelis and 34% of Palestinians thought the
chances that the current Israeli administration would implement this plan are
low, and 30% of Israelis and 36% of Palestinians felt the chances were
nonexistent.
With regards to violence in Syria, 73% of Israelis polled
opposed Israeli intervention there, while 19% supported providing humanitarian
assistance and granting political asylum to rebels. Only 2% favored supplying
weapons and ammunition, and 4% supported active intervention of the IDF
there.
As far as the possibility of a military strike on Iran is
concerned, 72% of the Israelis surveyed thought that if Israel carried out a
full-blown attack on Iran, a major regional war would occur, and 22% did not
think that such a consequence would happen. Only 19% said they supported a
strike conducted by Israel alone, without the cooperation of the United States.
However, 51% of the people polled said they would support cooperation between
the US and Israel in bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities. Of the respondents, 26%
opposed any strike whatsoever.
The Palestinian population sampled in the
poll included 1,200 adults interviewed face-to- face in the West Bank, east
Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, in 120 randomly selected locations June 21-23,
with a 3% margin of error, according to the study.
The Israeli population
sampled included 602 adults interviewed via phone in Hebrew, Arabic or Russian
June 17-21, with a 4.5% margin of error, the poll reported.