Poll: Plurality of Israelis think settlements help security
A comprehensive survey shows a plurality of Israeli Jews believe the continued building of West Bank settlements helps Israel's security.
The Pew Research Center found that 42 percent of Israeli Jews said settlements are helpful, while 30 percent found them harmful. Most of the world considers Israeli settlements built on war-won land to be illegal and an obstacle to peace. Pew surveyed more than 5,600 Israeli adults from October 2014 through May 2015 and published their findings Tuesday. Results ranged widely based on responders' political affiliations. Among those on the right, 62 percent said settlements helped security while only 13 percent of those on the left agreed. Similarly, only 29 percent on the right think Israel can live peacefully alongside a Palestinian state compared to 86 percent on the left.
