University of Haifa Survey on Political Extremism: Yesha Emerges as Dovish

HAIFA. July 8. More than one in ten Israeli Jews justify the use of arms
to prevent the government from
carrying out its policy if they see there is no other way to stop it. An
astounding nearly 40 percent of the
country's new immigrants support the resort to violence in such a case.

These findings emerge from a survey carried out by the University of
Haifa's National Security Studies
Center in May.

The survey was based on a total of 1,016 Israeli respondents. Only
2.9% of those defining themselves
as religious, or what might be termed modern Orthodox, believe situations
could arise that call for violence to
stop the government.

This was one of the lowest percentages in support of armed violence among
the different categories of
Israel's Jewish population that were queried. In all, 11.1% of all Jewish
respondents said such situations
could arise.

The next-to-lowest percentage of agreement (2.2 %) was found among the
residents of Judea, Samaria,
and the Gaza Strip (Yesha), those who will bear the brunt of Prime Minister
Sharon's disengagement plan.
Respondents defining themselves as Leftist recorded the lowest percentage,
2%, agreeing with the statement
that there are situations in which there is no choice and even arms must be
used to prevent the government
from executing its policy.

Modern Orthodox showed less support (5.7%) than did Haredim (6.2%),
traditionalists (a high 14.4%),
or the secular (5.9%) for the assertion that when a political tragedy lies
at the doorstep and all avenues of
protest have been exhausted to no avail, physical harm to politicians might
be forgiven.

Once again, Yesha residents demonstrated even less support for the
suggestion (3.3%), and the Left was
the least willing to agree to it (1%).

New immigrants were more likely to accept the contention (14.4%) than any
other group but one: those
who called themselves religiously traditional (14.4%). Traditionalists
were also second to new immigrants
in supporting armed violence against the government if need be (15.8%).

The political extremism of this group was also expressed in the extent of
their support of sending threatening
letters to public figures to bring about a halt to what they considered as
dangerous policy. According to the
Haifa University survey, a total of 17.5% of traditionalists gave their
support as did 18.8% of new immigrants
-the two highest percentages favoring such an approach. Among Israeli Jews
as a whole, 11.4% supported
sending abusive letters.

Dr. Ami Pedahzur, who was in charge of the National Security Studies Center
survey, summed up the
findings. Overall, traditionalists are more supportive of violent means than
are the secular, the modern
Orthodox, or the Haredim. The Right is more extreme than either the center
or the Left, and new
immigrants favor more violent means than do residents of Yesha or Israel
Jews within the Green Line.