Only 2.7% of Israelis call Gaza op 'big success'

Poll indicates that Israelis believe Hamas was more successful than Israel in Operation Protective Edge.

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
IDF soldiers after returning to Israel from Gaza August 5, 2014. (photo credit: REUTERS)
IDF soldiers after returning to Israel from Gaza August 5, 2014.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
More Israelis believe Hamas emerged victorious in Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip than think that Israel did, according to a poll published on Wednesday.
On Monday, respected pollster Mina Tzemach took a representative sample of the adult Jewish Israeli population, to which there were 512 respondents. It was sponsored by strategist Roni Rimon, who previously worked for the Likud and insisted that he initiated it out of his own curiosity.
When asked about the results of the operation, only 2.7 percent said it was a big success for Israel and 18.6% said the results for Israel were good – totaling 21.3%.
By contrast, 10.4% called the operation in the Gaza Strip a big success for Hamas and 17.8% said the results for Hamas were good – a total of 28.2%.
Of those responding, 45.5% said the results were moderate for both sides and 5.1% said they did not know.
A poll that Rimon sponsored asked the same question on July 24 and found different numbers. At that time, more Israelis thought the results were more positive for Israel than Hamas, 24.8% to 23.6%.
“When the IDF entered Gaza with ground forces, there were expectations that Hamas would crawl and beg for a cease-fire,” Rimon said.
“Because the expectations were in the sky and were not met, a large portion of the nation was disappointed.”