(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – People in Israel are split over the ceasefire reached with the Palestinian organization Hamas, according to a poll by the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research and the Evens Program in Mediation and Conflict Resolution of Tel Aviv University. 45 per cent of respondents think the truce between Israel and Hamas, which was brokered by the Egyptian government, is good for Israel, while 48 per cent think it is not.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – People in Israel are split over the ceasefire reached with the Palestinian organization Hamas, according to a poll by the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research and the Evens Program in Mediation and Conflict Resolution of Tel Aviv University. 45 per cent of respondents think the truce between Israel and Hamas, which was brokered by the Egyptian government, is good for Israel, while 48 per cent think it is not.
In February 2007, Hamas and Fatah leaders reached an accord which set the guidelines for a power-sharing Palestinian administration, headed by Hamas. In June, amid a wave of violent clashes between Hamas and Fatah factions, Hamas militants seized control of Gaza. Palestinian Authority leader and Fatah member Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree to form a 12-member emergency government based in the West Bank and expelled Hamas from the administration. Fatah member Salam Fayyad was appointed as prime minister.
The Islamic Jihad organization launched Qassam rockets into Israel from Gaza almost daily since Hamas took control of the territory. Israel holds Hamas responsible for the attacks for allowing the Islamic Jihad and other groups to act against Israel. In January, Israel completely sealed off its borders with the Gaza Strip and launched military operations in Gaza.
In May, Israeli and Palestinian delegates began to negotiate a ceasefire in Egypt. On Jun. 17, Egypt announced that a "calm agreement" had been reached between Israel and Hamas. The deal took effect on Jun. 19, and entails Gaza’s Hamas rulers halting rocket and mortar fire on Israeli border communities, while Israel is to increase the flow of goods into Gaza.
On Jul. 7, a comment by Mohammed Nazzal, a senior member of Hamas, suggested that the truce deal is fragile. Nazzal declared: "The truce is not sacred. We are not obliged to continue with the truce if the Israelis don’t respect it."
Polling Data
Do you think the Egyptian-mediated "truce" between Israel and Hamas is good for Israel?
|
Yes |
45% |
|
No |
48% |
|
Not sure |
7% |
Source: Peace Index Project / Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research / Evens Program in Mediation and Conflict Resolution of Tel Aviv University
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 590 Israeli adults, conducted on Jun. 30 and Jul. 1, 2008. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.
