Only 13 percent of Israeli Arabs support the prosecution of former MK Azmi Bishara, who is suspected of treason, compared to 79 percent of Israeli Jews, according to a poll published on Sunday.
The results of the poll, carried out by the Ideological-Educational Center at the Berl Katzenelson Foundation will be presented in full Sunday evening at a Tel Aviv conference titled: Arab elites and the State of Israel – Cooperation or alienation?
The poll showed that 56 percent of Israeli Arabs oppose taking Bishara to trial, while 31 percent have no comment.
Only 9 percent of Israeli Jews oppose having the former MK and alleged traitor prosecuted, while some 12 percent had no opinion on the matter.
The findings that will be presented at the conference are the results of two surveys carried out simultaneously among representative samples of the Arab and Jewish populations in Israel.
The Arab poll consisted of 515 respondents, while the Jewish poll was made up of 500 participants.
According to the survey, 85 percent of Israel Arabs feel they have no impact on decision making in Israel, still, 67 percent feel free to behave and express themselves as they like.
Sixty-two percent of Israeli Arabs oppose exclusive Jewish control of immigration matters, and only 33 percent said this was something they accepted.
When asked about their representation by the Arab elite in Israel (MKs, intellectuals and public figures), 58 percent of the Arab respondents said they felt that they were represented well.
A significant amount of 39 percent said they did not feel represented by the Arab elite. Twenty-two percent said that they were best represented by religious figures, while 34 percent could not say who best represented them.
50 percent of Jews: Arabs should have more influence
In the poll conducted among Israeli Jews, most of the respondents said they did not think the Arab elite represented the position of the general Arab public in Israel.
The poll showed that 38 percent of the Jewish respondents felt the Arab elite held more radical views than the general public, while 12 percent claimed the opposite, saying the elite held more moderate views than the public.
Only 30 percent of the Jewish respondents said that the Arab elite and general public held similar views.
According to the poll, 47 percent of Israeli Jews believe that the Arab elite is harmful to Israel democracy. Only 20 percent claim that it in fact contributes to Israeli democracy.
In regards to the Arab elite's right to intervene on political-security matter, some 50 percent of the respondents said the Arab's should have some kind of influence on decision making, while 46 percent claimed the opposite.
When asked if the State of Israel should strengthen or weaken the Arab elite, 42 percent said it should not interfere, 37 percent said that State should weaken the Arabs, and 15 percent said Israel should work to strengthen the Arab elite.
'Significant gap'
"The poll shows a significant gap between the populations, especially in regards to Azmi Bishara and his actions," said Yigal Tzahor, manager of the Ideological-Educational Center at the Berl Katzenelson Foundation.
"There is no doubt that in recent years, religious and nationalistic radicalization has taken place in the Arab sector, and is expressed by the political and religious Arab elites. Nonetheless, we must remember that there is a minority that is willing to work to bridge the gaps between the Jewish and Arab populations."
Dr Amal Jamal, the composer of the poll and head of Tel Aviv University's Department of Political Science, told Ynet,"The data proves that the Arab population definitely views the Arab elite as its representative, despite the establishment's position.
"In addition, it proves that there are new trends in Arab politics – if in the past the Arab public's attention was aimed at gaps in the distribution of resources, now, the public's attention is more aimed at the state's Jewish character, as a central excuse for the distribution of resources.
"The Arab public views itself as an integral part of Israel democracy and would like to be more influential, despite the position of the majority of the Jewish public, who view the Arabs intervention in Israel democracy as illegitimate."