Press Release

Israelis Find Netanyahu Most Suitable to Handle Security, Yachimovich for Socio-Economic Issues

Views of Israeli Voters on Personalities, Issues Revealed in Latest Peace Index

ISRAELIS FIND NETANYAHU MOST SUITABLE TO HANDLE SECURITY, YACHIMOVICH FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC ISSUES

Views of Israeli Voters on Personalities, Issues Revealed in Latest Peace Index

Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013, Israel Democracy Institute, 4 Pinsker Street, Jerusalem – With elections just two weeks away, the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) and Tel Aviv University released the December 2012 Peace Index poll, measuring Israeli public opinion on some of the most critical issues facing voters this election season.

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

The public was also polled on their attitudes toward some of the politicians leading parties in the Knesset elections. With regard to their ability to hand political-security issues, Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) was judged suitable by 53% of Israeli Jews, Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) by 28%, Naftali Bennett (Bayit Yehudi) by 25%, Shaul Mofaz (Kadima) by 22%, Tzipi Livni (Tzipi Livni Party) by 19%, Shelly Yachimovich (Labor) by 14%, and Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) by 8%. When asked about their ability to handle socio-economic issues, Shelly Yachimovich was deemed suitable by 45% of Israeli Jews, Benjamin Netanyahu by 36%, Yair Lapid by 25%, Naftali Bennett by 20%, Tzipi Livni by 19%, Avigdor Liberman by 17%, and Shaul Mofaz by 12%.

Other key findings include:

  • Two-thirds (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.
  • Half of the Jewish public concurs that Israel should follow current government policy even at the price of a confrontation with the US administration.
  • A majority (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.
  • While 58% of Jewish Israelis support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state given appropriate security arrangements, 58% believe that the Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem should not be transferred to the Palestinian state and 51% believe that under no circumstances should settlements in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) be dismantled.

This survey, conducted from December 31, 2012 to January 2, 2013, included 601 respondents who constitute a representative sample of the adult population of Israel. The measurement error for a sample of this size is 4.5%.

The full results of the Peace Index will be available on IDI's Peace Index page.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Peace Index Co-Director Prof. Tamar Hermann, contact:
Yehoshua Oz
IDI Director of International Communications
press@idi.org.il
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