(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many people in Israel believe the decision to dismantle Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and West Bank was not a positive one, according to a poll by Geocartographia. 48 per cent of respondents think the "Disengagement Plan" was a mistake.

In August 2005, the Israeli government, headed at the time by Ariel Sharon, evacuated close to 8,000 Israeli settlers who lived in 21 Gaza Strip and four northern West Bank settlements under the terms of the "Disengagement Plan." Israel removed all military personnel from the Gaza Strip, but intends to maintain a security presence in the West Bank.

Throughout May and June, Hamas militants have launched hundreds of Qassam rockets from Gaza into Israel. The Israeli government has retaliated with air strikes targeting suspected compounds and businesses that allegedly transfer money to Hamas. 58 per cent of respondents favour a military solution to the Qassam rockets, while 25 per cent would prefer a diplomatic agreement.

On Jun. 4, opposition Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu declared during a ceremony commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 1967 War that Israel should never withdraw from the West Bank, adding, "Since the Six Day War, the Arab world has been trying to get us off the mountains of Judea and Samaria, but as long as we are on this mountain, we are unbeatable. (...) If (Israeli) voters decide that I must return to lead the country, I do not plan to control the Palestinians and annex them to Israel. On the contrary, they should be independent."

Polling Data

Was disengagement a mistake or correct?

What is the solution to the Qassam rockets?

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