Poll: Netanyahu on slippery slope and unilateral freeze improper, oppose freeze

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 26 August 2009

With Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu meeting in London with US Mideast
mediator George Mitchell, a poll carried out this Sunday through Monday by
Maagar Mohot Survey Institute (headed by Professor Yitzchak Katz) finds
Israeli Jews oppose (52%:33%) a settlement freeze in Judea and Samaria and
E. Jerusalem in return for Arab gestures such as the opening of various
Israeli representation offices or granting of permission for Israeli
flights to fly over Saudi Arabia on the way to the Far East. Respondents
warned (47%:25%) that once Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu formally agrees to a settlement freeze President Obama will pressure him to continue the
freeze indefinitely regardless of what the Arabs do.

The poll also found support (51%:24%) for Minister Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon’s
call to complete the approval process of outposts in Judea and Samaria that
were established with Israel’s consent and whose approval process has yet to
be completed. Netanyahu’s de facto freeze without cabinet approval was also
considered improper (63%:22%) and that PM Netanyahu is on a “slippery slope
with President Obama” (55%:26%).

Israeli Jews agree (41%:19%) that the Peace Now movement has caused damage
to the State of Israel?

The telephone poll of a representative sample of 506 adult Israeli Jews, was
commissioned by Independent Media Review & Analysis (IMRA) and has a survey error of +/- 4.5 percentage points.

Detailed results follow:
#1. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the call of Minister
Moshe “Bogie” Yaalon to the Government of Israel, to complete the approval
process of outposts in Judea and Samaria that were established with Israel’s
consent and whose approval process has yet to be completed.
Disagree 24% So-so 8% Agree 51% Other replies 17%

#2. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has carried out a de facto policy of
freezing the settlements in Judea and Samaria. Without any connection to
you position on the matter, do you believe it is proper that Prime Minister
Netanyahu did not bring the matter of the building freeze in the settlements
for the approval of his cabinet or security cabinet?
Improper 63% Proper 22% Other replies 15%

#3. Do you support a settlement freeze in Judea and Samaria and E.
Jerusalem in return for Arab gestures such as the opening of various Israeli
representation offices or granting of permission for Israeli flights to fly
over Saudi Arabia on the way to the Far East?
Favor 33% Oppose 52% Other replies 15%

#4. To what extent do you agree with this statement: “Once Netanyahu
formally agrees to a settlement freeze President Obama will pressure him to
continue the freeze indefinitely regardless of what the Arabs do.”
Disagree 25% So-so 8% Agree 47% Other replies 20%

#5. Minister Moshe “Bogie” Yaalon warned last week that “When you do
things you don’t believe in, you enter a slippery slope because they put
pressure on you, and you keep rolling downwards.” Do you think that Prime
Minister Netanyahu is on a slippery slope with President Obama?
No 26% Yes 55% Other replies 19%

#6. What do you think should be the State of Israel’s central demand of the
Palestinian Authority: stopping the incitement for hatred of Jews and Israel
or eradication of the terror infrastructure of armed militias and other
illegal Palestinian forces?
Incitement 8% Terror 15% Both 65% Other replies 12%

#7. Should Israel insist that in any deal for the release of Gilad Shalit
that no live Palestinians be released before it is verified that Shalit is
alive?
Yes 76% No 15% Other replies 9%

#8 To what extent do you agree or disagree with the claim that the Peace
Now movement has caused damage to the State of Israel?
Disagree 19% So-so 11% Agree 41% Other replies 29%

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)