'Yesha leaders should examine themselves.' Evacuation of West Bank settlement
Photo: AP
Poll: 40 percent of settlers feel ‘less Israeli’
Peace Now poll shows nearly 25 percent of settlers feel that had they been offered adequate compensation they'd agree to evacuate homes; 7 percent of settlers shifted to toward the right politically, survey indicates
The Peace Now movement conducted its annual poll among settlers following the disengagement and before the Amona evacuation. Settlers, especially the religious ones, feel pessimistic.
45 percent of the settlers feel that following the disengagement plan leaders of Yesha have to exacerbate the struggle. 40 percent feel less Israeli, and almost a quarter feel that had they been offered an adequate compensation they'd agree to leave.
Peace Now secretary-general, Yariv Oppenheimer, said on Monday that "Yesha leaders should examine themselves and re-connect the settler youth with Israeli society".
Yesha should exacerbate the struggle
On the question what should Yesha leaders do following the disengagement plan, 45 percent said they feel that Yesha should exacerbate the struggle, 20 percent feel that they should moderate it, and 22 percent support no change in the future struggle.
On the question "following the disengagement, do you feel less Israeli?" 40 percent answered yes, 42 percent answered that there was no change in their attitude. Among the religious sector 52 percent feel less Israeli, whereas only 23 percent of the secular sector feel that way.
According to the survey, 25 percent of the settlers feel that they became more religious following the disengagement, most of them from the religious sector.
On the question of willingness to leave, 24 percent said that if residents of West Bank were offered adequate compensation, most of them would leave, but 68 percent said they believe that only a small minority would leave in exchange for compensation.
In the political spectrum, 74 percent said they consider themselves right-wing, 17 percent center, and 5 percent left-wing. Peace Now said that compared to last year's survey, 7 percent of the settlers shifted to toward the right.
13 percent support Jerusalem division
On the question "would you support or oppose a permanent agreement with the Palestinians which includes a clause to divide Jerusalem?" 83 percent answered that they'd object, and 13 percent said they would support it.
On the subject of how the disengagement plan affected the settlers' community, the poll showed that 33 percent feel that PM Ariel Sharon's decision to go ahead with it was meant to distract the public's attention from the corruption affairs; 31 percent feel that the pullout stemmed from international pressure on Israel, and 10 percent said they feel that the reason is a result of the intifada and terror.
Some issues don't change. When asked "in your opinion, is there a need to continue recruitment to combat units and the IDF?" 85 percent answered yes and only 10 percent answered no, with most naysayers belonging to the ultra-orthodox public.
Peace Now concludes that the religious settlers community is pessimistic and combative, compared to the rest of the settlers. Moria Shlomot, one of Peace Now's leaders, said that "the poll shows that the settlers are more factual and they realize that Israel is about to face another evacuation of settlements."
The survey was conducted on a sampling of 3,412 people over the age of 18, which include men, women, secular, religious, and ultra-orthodox who live in 120 towns in Judea and Samaria.
