PM Ehud Olmert
Photo: AP
Reports of the alleged Israeli military operation in Syria have boosted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's popularity by 10%, a poll conducted by Yedioth Ahronoth and the Dahaf Institute showed.
Easing Tensions
Prime minister says Monday Israel is interested in holding peace negotiations with Syria without pre-conditions or demands, states he respects Bashar Assad, Syria's policy
Asked how they would rate Olmert's management of government affairs, 35% of the respondents said it was "good", as opposed to only 25% who gave the same answer in the previous poll, which was conducted on the eve of Rosh Hashana.
According to the poll, published on Tuesday, 63% of Israelis believe the prime minister's performance is "not satisfactory".
In addition, the poll showed that 20 % of the public changed their opinion of the PM for the better following the alleged operation, while 70% said their opinion of Olmert has not changed. Only 4% of the respondents said their opinion of Olmert has changed for the worse.
The alleged operation in Syria has also boosted the IDF's stance in the public's eyes, with 41% of the respondents saying their faith in the military has increased following the reports of the attack. Only 3% said their faith in the IDF has decreased, while 53% of the respondents said their opinion of the army has not changed.
As to the prospects of a war with Syria, the poll showed that 32% of Israelis believe the alleged operation increased the possibility of a military conflict, while 13% percent believe the operation may decrease the chances of war.
According to the poll, 78% of Israelis supported the government's decision to launch the operation, while only 10% opposed it.