More than half of Israelis call the cease-fire a mistake, say the IDF should have been allowed to continue operation in order to degrade Hamas military abilities.
By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMANIsraeli soldiers ride atop armoured personnel carriers near the border with the Gaza Strip August 20(photo credit: REUTERS)
Israelis believe the IDF emerged victorious in Operation Protective Edge even though Israel did not, a Geocartography Institute poll sponsored by The Jerusalem Post and its Hebrew sister paper Ma’ariv found on Thursday.Sixty-one percent of respondents agreed with the statement that the IDF had won while Israel had lost, while 32% percent disagreed and 7% did not have an opinion.Respondents expressed frustration with the cease-fire that ended the operation with Hamas still in power in the Gaza Strip. Fifty-eight percent said the IDF should have been allowed to continue the operation in order to degrade the terrorist organization’s military abilities and called the truce a mistake that wastes the achievements of the Israeli armed forces.Thirty-three percent said the cease-fire was a correct step that could lead toward a diplomatic solution to the Palestinian conflict via PA President Mahmoud Abbas and moderate Arab states like Egypt, and 9% had no opinion.While a Channel 2 poll broadcasted on Wednesday found that only 32% of Israelis were satisfied with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, he fared better in the Post’s survey.Nearly half of the respondents, 49%, said they were satisfied with Netanyahu’s performance, 26% said it was mediocre, 20% called it bad, and 5% had no opinion.Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon scored better, with 53% satisfied with his performance, 23% saying it was mediocre, 12% calling it bad, and 12% having no opinion.The best grades went to IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz, who has been criticized by cabinet ministers for his hesitance.The majority of respondents, 72%, gave him a good score, 12% mediocre, just 6% bad, and 10% had no opinion.When asked which party they would vote for if an election were held now, respondents went overwhelmingly with the Right. According to the poll, the Right would win 84 of the 120 Knesset seats, up from its current 61.The Likud would win 32 mandates, Bayit Yehudi 18, Yisrael Beytenu 17, Labor 12, United Torah Judaism 10, Yesh Atid nine, Shas seven, Meretz six and Arab parties nine.The poll of 500 respondents was taken on Wednesday and has a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.
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