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!!
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