Israel Matzav

Poll: 91% of Jewish Israelis support Operation Protective Edge

I didn't think 91% of Jewish Israelis could agree on anything, but 91% of Jewish Israelis support Operation Protective Edge. The vast majority of them don't want it to end yet either.

Ninety-one percent (91%) of Israeli Jews support Israel's self-defense campaign against terrorism in Gaza, Operation Protective Edge, according to a survey published Monday - and just 4.2% believe the operation is a "mistake."

Over 1,000 people were polled by Dr. Yuval Feinstein, a Sociology and Political Science researcher at University of Haifa, on their opinions regarding the operation and other current events. All participants were Israeli, Jewish, and over 18. 

The survey also revealed that 85% of respondents would only support a cease-fire agreement if Israel eliminated every Hamas rocket and destroyed the full network of terror tunnels before agreeing to do so. 

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of Israeli Jews polled "very strongly support" Operation Protective Edge's airstrikes on Gaza; 17% "support" the airstrikes; and 4.5% had "weak support" for the airstrikes. Just 1.5% of respondents opposed the airstrikes on Gaza.

Similarly, 50% "strongly support" the IDF's ground offensive in Gaza; 28% "support" the ground campaign and 14% have "weak support" for the campaign. By contrast, only 9% of respondents oppose sending ground troops into Gaza. 

Eighty-two percent (82%) of respondents "strongly disagree" with the statement "Israel launching Operation Protective Edge was a mistake"; 11% only "slightly disagree." Just 7% of respondents "agree" or "strongly agree" with that statement. 

As to the operation's success, 74% of respondents overall believe the IDF is "achieving its goals" in Gaza; of those, 23% "very strongly agree" and 51% "strongly agree." Just 22.5% of respondents were neutral on the issue and only 3% believe the operation is failing. 

Ninety-five percent (95%) of respondents said the operation has "made them proud of the IDF, the State of Israel, and the Jewish people," and only 2% disagreed with that statement.

But alas, many Israelis are still hopelessly naive.

Despite all of the above, the majority of respondents still insist that Israel must implement a "Two-State Solution" for peace - some 42%. Just 20% of respondents preferred the crowning of Jordan as a Palestinian state and only 10% agreed to any form of annexation for Judea-Samaria and Gaza.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, IDF, Operation Protective Edge

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:12 PM