Poll: Settlers disengage from state
Recent survey shows most settlers distrust police, High Court, State, citizens living within green line and, mostly media; Rabbis remain popular, some 46 percent say they respect IDF. Large number of settlers say religious nationalist parties, Yesha failed in protecting their cause
Some 71 percent of settler youths who took part in the poll said they trust no one in their struggle against government plans to evacuate more settlers from the West Bank.
The poll, which was conducted among 828 respondents from 43 settlements, also probed the popularity of Yesha council leaders and religious nationalist parties.
About 56 percent of respondents said the National Religious Party and National Union party “failed,” with only 14 percent expressing satisfaction with their policy.
The Yesha Council also saw its popularity drop, with 49 percent of respondents saying its leaders’ strategy towards the government failed, in comparison to 25 percent who approved of the council.
Rabbis were the most popular among respondents.
'Bond between army, settlers must be strengthened'
Three in every four respondents said they do not trust the High Court of Justice, two-thirds distrust the Israel Police, and one-third said they distrust Israelis living within the green line.
The media is perceived as the most anti-settler institution, with 83 percent saying they distrust its coverage of their cause.
About 46 percent said they trust the IDF in comparison to 29 percent who said their trust in the military institution has dwindled since the August disengagement from the Gaza Strip.
Despite the alarming findings, 62 percent of polled youth said confrontations with the army and the police during the disengagement and the evacuation of Amona have not deterred them from enlisting to the national service.
Only 20 percent said they will not serve the army.
Settler leader Pinchas Wallerstein said the poll’s findings are reassuring, citing that a mere 7 percent of respondents said they support having recourse to violence should the government go ahead with further pullouts from the West Bank.
“Despite the disappointment with the security forces the IDF enjoys a favorable treatment when the High Court and the police’s popularity have dropped. We need to invest a lot of time in strengthening the bond between the army and the people so that the split does not widen,” he said.
