A huge majority of Israelis would oppose an attempt by US President
Barack Obama to impose a final-status agreement with the Palestinians,
a poll sponsored by the Independent Media Review and Analysis (IMRA)
organization found this week.
Leading American newspapers
reported last week that Obama was considering trying to impose a
settlement if efforts to begin indirect proximity talks between Israel
and the Palestinians proved unsuccessful. The option was discussed in a
meeting with current and former advisers to the White House.
Asked
whether they would support Obama imposing a plan dividing Jerusalem and
removing the Jordan Valley from Israeli control, 91 percent of Israelis
who expressed an opinion said no and 9% said yes, according to the poll
of 503 Israelis, which was taken by Ma’agar Mohot on Sunday and Monday
and had a 4.5% margin of error.
Eighty-one percent said it was
improper for Obama to try to force such a plan on the two sides, while
19% of those who expressed an opinion said it was proper.
The
poll asked whether it would create enduring peace or enduring conflict
should Jerusalem be divided, with Jewish neighborhoods remaining part
of Israel and Arab neighborhoods becoming part of a Palestinian state.
Eighty-four percent said conflict and 16% said peace.
The numbers were similar for the Jordan Valley, where 90% opposed relinquishing Israeli control and 10% were in favor.
Meanwhile, a poll of Palestinians conducted on April 8-10 by the Center
of Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah University in Nablus
asked Palestinians whether they would accept the creation of a
Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders with a land exchange as a
final solution for the Palestinian problem, and whether they would
support or reject making Jerusalem a capital for two states.
The numbers on the two-state solution were 66.7% against, 28.3% in
favor, and 5% who did not know or did not express an opinion. On the
Jerusalem issue, 77.4 said they opposed such a plan, 20.8% were in
favor, and 1.8% had no opinion or chose not to express it.