Most Israelis, Jews and Arabs alike, do not trust that the security of the Jewish state is a top priority for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, a new poll reveals.
According to the most recent monthly Peace Index poll organized by the Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University, the majority of Israelis, both Jewish and Arabs, have no faith that Israel’s security is an important issue for American Secretary of State John Kerry with regard to the U.S.-brokered Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.
Two-thirds of Jewish Israelis and 53 percent of Arabs – or 64 percent of Israelis in general, Jews and Arabs – believe that their country’s security is not a significant factor for Kerry in his pursuit of a framework agreement.
Among Israeli Jews, 74 percent feel certain that the Americans are exerting more pressure on Israel than on the Palestinians to accept an American framework, despite the fact that the details have not been finalized. Five percent said the Palestinian Authority is being pressured; 12 percent feel the pressure is equal on both sides.
Twenty-nine percent of Israeli Arabs said pressure on the PA was more intense; 25 percent said it was stronger on Israel, and 25.5 percent said it was equal.
Despite the difference in percentages, Kerry is mistrusted in Israel among both Jews and Arabs, the poll – a telephone survey – indicates.
This survey, conducted March 3-4, included 603 respondents who constitute a representative sample of the adult population of Israel, ages 18 and over, with a 4.1 percent margin of error.
Apprehension concerning increased American pressure mounted in recent months with Kerry’s frequent visits to the region, but fears heightened following a widely circulated interview conducted by Bloomberg View’s Jeffrey Goldberg with U.S. President Barack Obama a day prior to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington last week. In the interview, Obama stated that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is a moderate and suggested that the next move is up to Israel.
Date: Mar. 12, 2014