Tuesday, January 8, 2013

ICI poll: Israeli Jews Trust Netanyahu on Security and Peace Process Policy

53 percent of Israeli Jews believe Prime minister Netanyahu is most suitable to handle political-security issues, compared to only 14% who think so of Labor leader Shelly Yechimovich, and 19% who believe Livni is suitable to handle these issues, according to the latest Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) and Tel Aviv University December 2012 Peace Index poll. 

When asked about their ability to handle socio-economic issues, Shelly Yechimovich was deemed suitable by 45% of Israeli Jews, Benjamin Netanyahu by 36%, Yair Lapid by 25%, Naftali Bennett by 20%, Tzipi Livni by 19%, and Shaul Mofaz by 12%.
Other key findings:

-Israeli Jews continue to define themselves as right-wing (55%) more than centrist (21%) or left-wing (17%).

-50% report their intention to vote for the secular and religious right-wing parties and 30% for parties of the center and left, while 20% remain undecided or would not answer.
-67% of Jewish Israelis agree that, no matter which parties prevail, the peace process with the Palestinians will remain at a standstill for reasons not connected to Israel.

-50% of the Jewish public concurs that Israel should follow current government policy even at the price of a confrontation with the US administration.

-60% of Israeli Jews support a peace agreement with the Palestinians based on the principle of two states for two peoples. This includes 100% of declared Meretz voters, 88% of Tzipi Livni Party voters, 83% of Yesh Atid voters, 80% of Labor and Kadima voters, 52% of Likud voters, 32% of Bayit Yehudi voters, 13% of Shas voters, and 10% of United Torah Judaism voters.

-58% believe that the Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem should not be transferred to the Palestinian state.

-51% believe that under no circumstances should settlements in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) be dismantled.