Local Editor
An opinion poll conducted by Israeli daily, Maariv, said that the vast majority of Israelis say US-brokered negotiations with the Palestinians will fail to bring any “peace” agreement.
About 80 percent of 507 Israeli respondents told the newspaper that they believed the talks would not succeed.
The poll came a week after a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerr
y, who kick-started the talks in July after a three-year hiatus and is pushing the two sides to accept a “framework agreement” for final status negotiations."Public opinion seems tired, dejected and skeptical after seeing dozens of American mediators and envoys come here over the years and leave empty-handed," Maariv wrote.
The survey showed that 73 percent rejected a total withdrawal of Israeli occupation troops from the West Bank under any peace accord.
Israeli and Palestinian leaders appear increasingly at odds over irreconcilable demands, including over the borders of a future Palestinian state and an Israeli military presence in the Jordan Valley, where the West Bank borders Jordan.
Israelis insist the army must remain there in the long term to guarantee the occupation’s “security”, but the Palestinians insist they must leave and make way for an international military force.
A separate opinion poll by pro-Israeli government Israel Hayom said 70 percent of 500 Israeli respondents rejected a withdrawal from the Jordan Valley.
Some 53 percent said Kerry was not sincere or "honest" in his quest for peace.
According to Agence France Presse (AFP), the Maariv and Israel Hayom polls had an error margin of 4.5 and 4.4 percent, respectively.
Source: AFP | 10-01-2014 - 11:56 Last updated 10-01-2014 - 11:5 |
mmmm