Most Israelis think Knesset should remove prime minister
Gil Hoffman , THE JERUSALEM POST Nov. 13, 2007
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A majority of Israelis believe that the Knesset should suspend or topple
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert due to the criminal investigations against him,
according to a recent poll conducted by Ma'agar Mohot.
The poll was sponsored by the Israel Policy Center for Promoting
Parliamentary Democracy and Jewish Values in Israeli Public Life. The
Jerusalem-based center is headed by Prof. Yitzhak Klein, who also advises
the Knesset Law Committee.
In the poll of more than 1,000 people representing a sample of the Israeli
adult population, some 55 percent of respondents said the Knesset should
remove Olmert because of the investigations. Israelis were divided on the
question on mostly political lines, with Likud supporters overwhelmingly in
favor and Kadima and Labor backers against. Among recent immigrants, 78%
were in favor of removing Olmert and only 22% were opposed.
A majority (53%) agreed with the statement that the main reason Olmert was
seeking an agreement with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was
because he was worried about his personal and political future, and not
about Israel's national interest. Some 57% of Kadima and Labor supporters
disagreed with the statement.
The poll's numbers regarding support for concessions to the Palestinians
were bad news for Olmert as well. Some 65% of respondents said that due to
the lessons of 2005's disengagement from the Gaza Strip, they opposed a
large withdrawal in the West Bank.
Some 61% said they opposed removing IDF soldiers from most of the West Bank
and giving control over the territory to the Palestinians.
If Israel did withdraw, some 55% believe the territory would be used to fire
rockets at Israelis and 65% believe there is a high or very high chance that
Hamas would take control of the area. Some 77% said Abbas lacked the power
to prevent attacks from the West Bank.
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