11% of Israeli voters care about Palestinian conflict
Just 11% of eligible voters over 18 plan to prioritize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict when they head to the polls this April, according to the results of a new poll by Mina Zemach and Mano Geva.
The data commissioned by the Israeli NGO Commanders for Israel’s Security (CIS) was culled from interviews on February 11-12 with 617 Israelis and has a margin of error of 3.9%. The NGO supports a twostate solution.
CIS published its data as top politicians are jockeying to claim a right or center-right position regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with an eye toward claiming the maximum amount of voters.
The poll, however, showed that 32% of voters care first and foremost about the cost of living, followed by 26% that said they prioritize security, including the battle against terrorism.
Those who said their top concern was the Israeli-Palestinian conflict numbered 9%, with another 2% stating that they cared first and foremost about the future of Judea and Samaria.
Voters from Meretz and Labor placed the conflict second, while those from the far-right parties of the National Union and Zehut listed it as their most important topic.
When asked about their preferred solution to the conflict, the largest percentage of those polled, 28%, stated that they wanted a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 lines.
Some 22% stated that they supported annexation, with only 3% of that number offering to give the Palestinians full citizenship rights in Israel and the remaining 19% wanting to offer the Palestinians partial rights.
Another 19% said they wanted a resolution that separated Israelis and Palestinians, and allowed for the IDF to remain in the West Bank until such time as an agreement could be reached to assure Israeli security.
Some 20% of the respondents said that they did not know what solution they wanted, while 11% said they preferred to see the status quo remain as is.
Those polled were asked three times about annexation and then presented with arguments for and against such a proposal.
The information changed some of the responses, but at no point did a majority of those polled state that they supported annexation.
Those who said they didn’t know fluctuated from 18% to 21%, while those favoring it fluctuated from 24% to 32% and those opposing it fluctuated from 47% to 60%.
The poll also found voter support for annexation was not high even among right-wing parties, with 60% of Likud participants opposing it, as did 50% of the New Right. The numbers rose for Yisrael Beytenu, which is often thought of as a right-wing party, but, 72.5% of those polled from the party said they opposed annexation. Benny Gantz’s Israel Resilience had 76% opposing, and Labor had 89% in opposition to annexation.