Almost half of the Israeli population supports a unilateral withdrawal from
large sections of the Palestinian territories based on the pre-1967 lines,
according to a poll conducted by Rafi Smith for the Blue White Future
movement.
The poll was released ahead of an election debate between the
“Zionist parties” hosted by the movement at Tel Aviv University on
Sunday.
Forty-five percent of respondents answered they would back a
unilateral withdrawal while maintaining the large settlement blocs including
western Samaria, Kedumim, Jerusalem, Ma’aleh Adumim and Gush
Etzion.
Eighty percent of respondents supported leaving an IDF presence
in the West Bank in the case of unilateral withdrawal until a final status
agreement is signed.
All United Torah Judaism supporters answered “yes”
to this question, while on the other side of the political spectrum, 64% of
Meretz supporters also answered in favor of IDF security
measures.
Seventy-six percent of those surveyed supported the principle
of compensating settlers who agree to evacuate voluntarily, with 95% of both
Yesh Atid and The Tzipi Livni party supporters favoring this
idea.
Meanwhile, 68% of respondents backed early preparations by the
state to absorb settlers now living east of the security barrier, in order to
facilitate implementation of the process, down 10% from the June survey. This
decrease was mostly attributed to right-wing and Orthodox respondents.
The
percentage of Bayit Yehudi supporters who answered in favor of unilateral
withdrawal rose by 16% since June to 41%.
Co-chairman of the Blue White
Future movement Gilead Sher said that the Israeli public is beginning to
internalize the idea that a Jewish democratic state requires withdrawing from
the Palestinian territories, with or without an agreement.
“It is the
duty of a responsible government – any government – to promote the reality of
two states for two peoples as a clear interest for national security,” Sher
stated. “The status quo and the ineffectiveness of the current government is
leading to the end of Zionism, which established in Israel the national and
democratic home of the Jewish people.
“We must curb the danger of a
binational or unequal state through one-sided constructive steps,” he continued.
“The government must prepare, with courage and responsibility, the
infrastructure along the security barrier while conducting controlled,
responsible and planned evacuations from settlements located outside the
settlement blocs, and to successfully absorb those forced to evacuate in order
to maintain a Jewish, democratic, legitimate and secure Israel.”