Friday 16 December 2011

Poll: 65% Israeli Jews want non-nuclear Israel and Iran

On December 1, 2011 – The Zionist Jewish think tank Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings Institute released its 2011 Public Opinion Poll of Jewish and Arab Citizens of Israel which as a great surprise for Hillary Clinton – shows that 65% of Israeli Jews prefer both Israel and Iran to be nuclear free countries.

The poll was conducted in November by Professor Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland in conjunction with Zogby International. The poll covered a range of topics including the US-Israel attack on the Islamic Republic, pro-democracy uprisings in the Arab world , Israel-Palestinian conflict, Obama-Netanyahu popularity and US aid to Israel.
Given a choice of two options, one where both Israel and Iran have nuclear weapons and one where neither has them, 65% of Israeli Jews support the latter while only 19% support the former,” reported the poll.

Some of other surprises included…

1. By a ratio of two to one, Israelis support an agreement that would make the Middle East a nuclear weapon free zone, including Iran and Israel, with a system of full inspections of all facilities where nuclear components are built or stored.
2. Israeli Jews are equally divided on attacking Iranian nuclear facilities, with 43% supporting and 41% opposing an attack. However, 68% of Arab citizens of Israel, who constitute nearly 20% of the population, oppose such an attack, while only 4% support it. Overall, more Israelis oppose than support an attack.
3. 90% of Israelis believe that Iran will eventually develop nuclear weapons.
4. 53% of Israeli Jews identify themselves as Jewish first, while 37% identify themselves as Israeli first.
5. 43% support a comprehensive peace based on the 1967 borders, while 31% oppose withdrawing from territories occupied in 1967 even if all Arab states accept and recognize Israel.
6. 71% of Israeli Jews support ormulation of Israel that accommodates its non-Jewish citizens by defining the state as “the homeland of the Jewish people and of all its citizens.”
7. 52% of Jewish Israelis believe that Arab citizens of Israel have legal equality but institutional and societal discrimination.
8 . 51% of Israeli Jews polled feel that the Arab Spring has been mostly negative for Israel.
9. 75% of native Palestinian Israelis support the anti-government protesters in Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen.
10. 54% of Israeli Jews have favorable opinion of US president Barack Obama, up from 39% in 2010.
11. The most admired world leader among Israeli Jews is Germany’s Angela Markel (12%), followed by Bill Clinton (10%). Iran’s President Dr. Ahmadinejad is the most disliked leader (36%) – an honor I must say!!
River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian

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