Israelis: Gov’t improved ties with U.S., Arab States, not the Palestinians – Poll

The poll was carried out in August 2019 by the Rafi Smith Institute and in cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

BY Herb Keinon, JPOST

Palestinians pray on the first Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem’s Old City May 10, 2019. . (photo credit: AMMAR AWAD / REUTERS)

The Israeli public believes that Israel’s relations with the US, Europe and Arab countries improved under the current government, while ties with the Palestinians got worse, according to a poll by the left-leaning Mitvim think tank.

Asked whether the outgoing government succeeded or failed in advancing relations with the US, some 77% said succeeded, while only 12% said it failed. When it came to relations with the Palestinians, however, those numbers were nearly reversed, with 65% saying the government failed to advance those ties, while 17% said it succeeded.

According to the poll, nearly half of the population –47% and 46% — believe the government succeeded in advancing Israel’s ties with Europe and with the Arab countries, as opposed to 33% and 35% who felt the government failed to advance those ties.

The poll also found that 34% of the population believe to some extent – small, moderate or to a large degree – that the status of the Foreign Ministry has declined, and that this is harming Israel’s national security, while 26% feel that the foreign Ministry’s position has not declined.

Regarding whom the public would like to see as foreign minister, 12% said Yair Lapid, 9% Benjamin Netanyahu, and only 3% would like to see current foreign Minister Israeli Katz in that job. Fully 40% had no opinion.

The poll was carried out in August 2019 by the Rafi Smith Institute and in cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, among a representative sample of Israel’s adult population (700 men and women, Jews and Arabs) and with a margin of error of 3.5%.