Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research

Israelis Feel War with Hezbollah Was Lost

September 29, 2006
Abstract: - Many adults in Israel believe their country was beaten in its recent armed conflict against Hezbollah, according to a poll by Maagar Mochot. 51 per cent of respondents believe the outcome of the war was a defeat for the State of Israel.

- Many adults in Israel believe their country was beaten in its recent armed conflict against Hezbollah, according to a poll by Maagar Mochot. 51 per cent of respondents believe the outcome of the war was a defeat for the State of Israel.

On Jul. 12, Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon killed eight Israeli soldiers and captured two more in a cross-border attack. The Israeli armed forces launched air strikes inside Lebanese territory to fight Hezbollah, targeting the country's infrastructure and its airport. Hezbollah retaliated by firing rockets into several Israeli towns.

A ceasefire brokered by the United Nations (UN) came into effect on Aug. 14. Security Council Resolution 1701 calls for "a full cessation of hostilities" from both sides and allows Lebanese government troops and a 15,000-member peacekeeping force to enter into southern Lebanon during the withdrawal of Israeli forces, but sets no timetable for the disarmament of Hezbollah or the return of the two abducted Israeli soldiers.

Yesterday, Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert ruled out the possibility of a new conflict with the militant group, saying, "The chances that Hezbollah would be persuaded to mount in the short term a major military confrontation such as we saw this summer are very slight. The reality has changed and Hezbollah knows it." 73 per cent of respondents think the outcome of the war in Lebanon will increase the danger of an additional and harsher war between Israel and its enemies.

Polling Data

How would you term the outcome of the current war in Lebanon in terms of the State of Israel?

Defeat for the State of Israel

51%

Draw

25%

Victory for Israel

10%

Other

14%

Do the results of war in Lebanon increase or decrease the danger of an additional and harsher war with our enemies?

Increase

73%

Decrease

14%

Other

13%

Source: Maagar Mochot
Methodology: Interviews with 1,000 Israeli adults, conducted from Sept. 17 to Sept. 22, 2006. Margin of error is 2.5 per cent.