Israelis are divided on the impact and future of the territories gained in the June 1967 war, according to the June 2016 Israel Democracy Institute Peace Index.
For more than two decades, the monthly Peace Index, which started at Tel Aviv University and now emanates through the Jerusalem based Israel Democracy Institute, has asked incisive opinion questions of the Israel public, both Jewish and Arab.
Using the coming 50th anniversary of the June 1967 war as context, this month’s survey delves into attitudes of the war’s impact upon a whole range of issues. Among the questions posed: Have the territories made Israel more secure? Are the: settlements in Israel’s national interest? What is the Green Line? What is the Jewish population of the territories? Is a referendum favored in determining the future of the territories and how would that referendum be conducted? What is the most desirable future outlook for the territories? Most answers reveal that the Israeli public, especially the Jewish Israel public, is divided. On “would it be desirable to hold a referendum on the issue of leaving the territories, a majority of the Jews (59%) and an even larger majority of the Arabs (73%) would favor holding a referendum on the issue of leaving the territories, if, in the future, there were to be progress in talks with the Palestinians leading to a draft peace agreement that would be acceptable to the Israeli government. For the complete June 2016 Peace Index (http://www.peaceindex.org/defaultEng.aspx/). For previous Peace Index surveys and other polling data pertinent to Israel, see our site – https://israeled.org/resources/polls/.