Polls: Israelis want US, Europe to attack Syria, but against IDF intervention

Two-thirds of respondents to Gal Hadash poll concerned American attack on Syria would lead to Israeli involvement in war.

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
IDF trains on Golan Heights 370 (photo credit: REUTERS)
IDF trains on Golan Heights 370
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The US and European countries should attack Syria, but Israel should not be involved in the assault, two polls in weekend Hebrew newspapers found.
While polls in the US and United Kingdom have found overwhelming opposition to their countries attacking Syria, a Gal Hadash poll published in Israel Hayom found that 66.6 percent of respondents would be in favor of American and European military intervention in Syria.
Only 17% opposed a US/EU strike and 16.4% did not know.
When asked whether they thought such an attack would take place, 72.8% said yes, 15.8% no, and 11.4% did not know.
Asked whether they were concerned that American intervention in Syria would lead to Israeli intervention in the war, 66.8% said yes, 28.7 said no and 4.5% did not know. Regarding what Israeli intervention there would be, 57.4% said limited IDF activity, 14.1% said Syria would attack Israel but the IDF would not respond, 12.9% said there would be all out Middle East war, and 15.6% did not know.
A separate Ma’agar Mohot poll published in Friday’s Ma’ariv found that Israelis overwhelmingly oppose an Israeli strike on Syria. If America does not intervene in Israel’s northeastern neighbor, 77% of respondents who expressed an opinion said Israel should not get involved militarily, 11% said the IDF should, and 12% said they did not know and other answers.
When divided among how people voted in the January general election, 79% of Likud voters opposed Israeli military intervention in Syria, while 96% of Labor and Meretz voters were opposed.
The Ma'agar Mohot poll of 519 respondents had a 4.5 percentage point margin of error. The Gal Hadah poll was taken Wednesday among 500 adult Jewish Israelis and had a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.