Survey: The majority of Israelis support military campaign in Gaza

The monthly academic survey, Peace Index, published by the Israeli Institute for Democracy and Tel Aviv University, showed that the majority of Israelis support the inclusion of the principle of equality into the recent “nation-state law.” The survey has also referred to the security tension on both Israeli fronts, namely in the borders with Gaza Strip and Syria.

In the July Peace Index, published last week, 47 per cent of respondents stated that there was no need for a “nation-state law,” while 45 per cent considered that such legislation necessary. According to the survey, 52 per cent of the Jews considered that there was a need for this law, while 84 per cent of the Arab respondents stated that it was not. 61.5 per cent of all respondents said that the law should have addressed the issue of equality. Half of the voters of the right-wing parties, 74 per cent of the voters of the centrist parties, and 91 per cent of the voters of the left supported the introduction of the principle of equality into the law.

61 per cent of the respondents thought that the “nation-state law” will not affect the Druze Arabs or the Arabic language, although it abolished their official status. 51 per cent of the Jewish respondents supported downgrading official recognition for the Arabic language, while 93 per cent rejected the change.

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70 per cent of the Jews and 34 per cent of the Arabs respondents thought that Hamas was trying to drag Israel into a large-scale military operation in Gaza Strip. Another, 54 per cent of the respondents, including 75 per cent of right-wing voters, supported launching a massive military operation against Gaza Strip, including a ground incursion if the ceasefire agreement has is violated, though 69 per cent of the Arab respondents objected to this.

Regarding Syria, 42 per cent of the respondents believed that the stability of the Syrian regime does not serve the interests of Israel. 34.5 per cent stated that it is in Israel’s favour. 70.5 per cent of the respondents said that Israel had made the right decision forbid Syrian refugees from entering Israeli-held territories, including the occupied Golan Heights.

66 per cent of Arab respondents supported the entry of Syrian refugees if they faced life-threatening danger, while 80 per cent of the Jewish respondents were against the refugees’ entry.

Thirteen years after the implementation of the disengagement plan from Gaza Strip, 56 per cent of the Jews said that it was not a good measure, while 68 per cent of the Arabs said it was.

Read: Israeli Druze rally against new nation-state law