Poll: 79% in favor of Shalit deal

Yedioth Ahronoth

The vast majority of Israel’s citizens are in favor of the deal securing the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1,027 terrorists, a public opinion poll commissioned by Yedioth Ahronoth shows.

Asked whether they were in favor of Shalit’s release in exchange for 1,027 terrorists, 79% of the respondents said yes and only 14% said no.

The survey was conducted on October 16 by the Dahaf Institute, headed by Mina Tzemach, among 500 people constituting a representative sample of Israel’s adult population. The maximum sampling error is 4.4%.

Among male respondents, 74% support the deal and 19% oppose it, while 86% of the women support it and only 5% are against it.

Sixty-five percent of the respondents believe a similar deal could have been finalized in the past, while 20% said a deal with similar conditions could not have been reached earlier.

As for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conduct, 49% said he gave into public pressure while 43% believe he acted like a leader.

Asked about the deal’s price, 53% said the Israeli government dropped some of its principles and 20% said Hamas conceded its principles more than Israel. Twenty percent said both sides gave up on some of their principles to a similar extent.

Respondents were then asked whether they fear for the security of Israel’s citizens following the prisoner release. Fifty percent admitted that they were afraid, while 48% said they trusted Israel’s security forces.

Finally, respondents were asked to describe their feelings towards the implementation of the Shalit deal. Forty-four percent said they were happy, 17% said they were excited, 15% said they felt proud, 14% were concerned, 5% felt humiliated and 3% were angry.

October 17, 2011 | 9 Comments »

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9 Comments / 9 Comments

  1. Who makes the decision as to the number of terrorists to let go? Does Israel have the ability to watch these released terrorists by satellite or some other way so if they engage in their evil ways than Israel can snuff them out? No more free room and board for the terrorists. They probably had it good in the Israeli prison; better than what they will have on the outside. Israel is saving quite a bit on food from no longer having to feed them.

  2. It is so easy to sit on the sidelines and blackguard the Israelis. But they have to do the fighting; they face the terrorists. They understand the realities of the situation, whereas Bill Levinson gives the impression that he has homed on Cloud Cuckoo Land.
    Israel is a wonderful country. They feel each other’s distress and rejoice at each other’s joy and relief.
    Respect their views.

  3. I know that Israel puts anyone jewish who has destroyed property, killed or wounded an arab, in prison.By the same reasoning that allowed a thousand murderers to regain freedom, our erring brothers should also be set free.

  4. A Supreme Court dominated by leftists that has never hesitated to interfere in the government’s security policies was quick to approve a result of which it clearly liked.

    The Shalit media circus is a sickening one.

    Its not a happy day for Israel, that is for sure.

  6. The Israeli media circus has begun. Instead of shame we project how happy and proud of ourselves we are to he world’s incredulous media. A giant tent has bee erected at the point where shalit is to cross. Hundreds of international media and press will be accommodated to view our own stupidity and moral decay. The father of sgt Shalit needed bodyguard protection when he appeared to defend the Governments perfidy in what some call our supreme court.

  7. Why Did Israel Betray its Terror Victims?

    The only concession to families of the victims will be the publication – a mere 48 hours prior to the release – of the names of the prisoners being set free. That’s all. It’s the end of the deal for them.

    The Israeli government is saying to these families: “We are sorry, the social pressure was too high, the Arab spring gave us a chance for a deal, this is a political game”.

    Next week, when most of the Israelis will share Shalits’ joy and concern about the mental health of their son, let’s hope that many others will remember the aftermath of the suicide attacks: the victims arranged near the carcass of the bus, the bodies placed in black bags, the Polaroid photos, the remains of a stroller, the scattered gray matter on the windows nearby, the Nazi number tattooed on the burned arms, the acrid odor of burned flesh and hair, the teeth and the DNA by which the victims were identified, the little pieces of jewelry that were everything a mother found at the morgue, the school notebooks, the military berets, the tennis shoes, the kippot of every color and the officers’ insignia.

    Next week someone should lay a flower near the thousands of plaques bearing the names of innocent Jews displayed along streets, schools, synagogues, cafes, restaurants, markets, parks and gardens.

    Despite the war for survival, Israel’s economy is booming, democracy is solid, immigration is growing and demography is thriving.

    But the State of Israel betrayed its victims. It’s a process that began when Yitzhak Rabin called Ofra Felix, a wonderful Israeli girl killed by the terrorists in 1995, “a victim of the peace process”.

    The Talmud says that in Israel, the dead protect the living. Today it’s less true.

    The question everybody has to answer is: why?

  8. I’m in total agreement with you Norman. I would have responded to the poll with “humiliated” and “angry”. It seems the Israeli public has gone soft. Then again so has America. And this at a time when our enemies have become more savage and bloodthirsty.

  9. I’m in the minority. For me morality and justice trump questions of popularity.

    I will never recognize the “deal with the devil” as just as long as I live.

    I know exactly where I stand. I cannot abide evil and I cannot accept innocent people being destroyed for the sake of someone’s freedom.

    Freedom without morality, justice and truth – all of which the Israeli government has shamelessly trampled upon, in truth is no freedom all.

    Outrageous!