Gil Hoffman, JPOST
Three quarters of Likud members believe that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu should wait until the fate of uprisings in the Muslim world becomes clearer before he takes any steps toward the Palestinians, a Ma’agar Mohot poll sponsored by the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip revealed on Thursday.
The poll of 821 Likud members representing a relatively large statistical sample of the membership had a 4 percentage point margin of error and was conducted in mid-March. But the council did not release the numbers until now, because they would have been overshadowed by other news developments.
The poll found that 78% of the members oppose the creation of a Palestinian state, 92% favor restarting construction in settlement blocs in Judea and Samaria, and 95% oppose dividing Jerusalem.
Reflecting anger at Netanyahu, 53% said he gave too much weight to Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s opinions and 57% said Netanyahu was not implementing the promises he made when he ran for prime minister.
The poll indicated that respondents were ready to translate their beliefs into action. Two-thirds said they would not support ministers who backed transferring land to the Palestinians or forming a Palestinian state, while 41% said they would consider voting for Israel Beiteinu instead of Likud in the next election if Netanyahu followed up on his Bar-Ilan speech by announcing land transfers to the Palestinian Authority or creating a Palestinian state in temporary borders.
In a sign that Likud members had not crossed a rubicon to the extreme Right, only 24% said they were in favor of annexing the entire West Bank, while 76% said they would oppose such a move. Asked what party leader best represented their views, 65% of the Likud members said Netanyahu and 35% said Lieberman.
When asked if they were satisfied with Netanyahu’s performance as prime minister on socioeconomic issues, 57% said yes. On diplomatic issues, 51% answered affirmatively.
“Bibi has no backing in the Likud for taking diplomatic steps toward the creation of a Palestinian state,” a senior Likud minister said in response to the poll. “If that’s what he wants to do, he at best can form a second Kadima.”
About half the settlers apparently want a continuation of the status quo — no Pal state, and no annexation. Perhaps the wrong questions are being asked: How many want an independent Judean & Samarian state, and with what boundaries?
….Netanyahus associates said that despite the signatures he could still avoid convening the committee. They said that even if there will be a meeting of the committee in a couple of months it would deal only with procedural matters.
neither does this poll indicate anything new, nor is it knew that the ruling clique in Israel loughs about it since almost all Israeli politicians have a price or have something to hide or both. may it be the Will of the Almighty, our G-d and the G-d of our fathers that the people wake up and that the aformentioned clique becomes nervous and frightened to the bones. may it take long or short, they will eventually go and their blame will reach to the heavens. if they bag pardon from the deepest places of their hearts before they die, we shall forgive them, if they continue in their traitorous corrupt and evil ways, they will destroy themselves.
This article was published by JPOST under a slightly different title with the words “Settlers’ Poll:” precding my title.
I could find nothing in the article which indicated the poll was taken only among Likudniks living east of the greenline.
I’d be interested to know if there is any data indicating what the numbers were with these same questions a year ago, four yrs ago, ten yrs ago, etc. Can we get a fix on the direction and trajectory of the numbers — as taken & commissioned by (hopefully) the same polling agency?