September 11, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in Israel express safety concerns at the current time, according to a poll by the Dahaf Institute released by Yediot Ahronot. 72 per cent of respondents think the security situation in the country is bad.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in Israel express safety concerns at the current time, according to a poll by the Dahaf Institute released by Yediot Ahronot. 72 per cent of respondents think the security situation in the country is bad.

In addition, 25 per cent of respondents claim they are uncertain about the existence of Israel in the distant future.

The former British mandate of Palestine was instituted at the end of World War I, to oversee a territory in the Middle East that formerly belonged to the Ottoman Empire. After the end of World War II and the Nazi holocaust, the Zionist movement succeeded in establishing an internationally recognized homeland. In November 1947, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the formation of a Jewish state.

In 1948, the British government withdrew from the mandate and the state of Israel was created in roughly 15,000 square kilometres of the mandate’s land, with the remaining areas split under the control of Egypt and Transjordan. Since then, the region has seen constant disagreement between Israel and the Palestinians, represented for decades by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Wars broke out in the region in the second half of the 20th Century, involving Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt.

A preview of the so-called Winograd Report—which looked into Israel’s handling of last year’s conflict with Lebanon-based Hezbollah—was released in late April. The document, drafted by a special commission appointed by the prime minister to investigate Israel’s military and political actions during the war, found Ehud Olmert, then defence minister Amir Peretz and then Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) chief of staff Dan Halutz responsible for "very serious failings" when making decisions throughout this period.

Throughout May and June, Hamas militants based in the Gaza Strip launched about 300 Qassam rockets into Israel. The Israeli government retaliated with air strikes targeting suspected compounds and businesses that allegedly transfer money to Hamas. In recent days, more Qassam rockets have been launched into Israel.

On Sept. 6, during a visit to Israel, British lawmaker Barbara Keeley declared: "We understand Sderot is under attack by Qassam rockets much of the time. (...) We do have debates on the Israel-Palestine situation in Parliament and we’ve been asked questions. This will form part of what people like me and others can say. We now have first-hand knowledge of what it’s like to live under rocket attacks."

Polling Data

How is the security situation of the State of Israel?

Good	26%
Bad	72%

Are you certain that Israel will continue to exist also in the distant future?

Yes	74%
No	25%

Source: Dahaf Institute / Yediot Ahronot

Methodology: Interviews with 498 Israeli adults, conducted on the first week of September 2007. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.