Maagar Mohot Poll of Israel youth: prefer 80%:16% democracy disagree with
over dictatorship they support

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date 12 March 2010

For some reason, the Israeli media across the board (Jerusalem Post,
Haaretz, Ynet, Arutz 7 etc.) failed to note in their coverage of this poll
the following incredible result:

Israeli youth overwhelmingly (80% to 16%) prefer a democracy they disagree
with than a dictatorship they agree with.

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Telephone poll of a representative sample of 536 Israelis age 15-18
(including Israeli Arabs) carried out by Maagar Mohot Survey Institute
(headed by Professor Yitzchak Katz for Tel Aviv University's School of
Education and the Citizens' Empowerment Center in Israel in mid February
2010 .
Statistical error +/- 4.5 percentage points.

Most appropriate to be prime minister:
Total: Netanyahu 30% Livni 19% Barak 5% Lieberman 10% Peres 15% Other 21%
Jews: Netanyahu 32% Livni 18% Barak 6% Lieberman 11% Peres 15% Other 18%
Arabs: Netanyahu 25% Livni 25% Barak 0% Lieberman 4% Peres 13% Other 33%

Are Israeli politicians corrupt?
Total: Yes 75% No 11% Other 14%
Jews: Yes 80% No 9% Other 11%
Arabs: Yes 59% No 19% Other 22%

Of the following regimes, which regime would you prefer in Israel today:
A dictatorship in which you agree with the views and activities of the
leadership
or
A democracy in which you disagree with the views and activities of the
leadership?
Total; Democracy 80% Dictatorship 16% Other 4%
Jews: Democracy 79% Dictatorship 18% Other 3%
Arabs: Democracy 84% Dictatorship 11% Other 5%

What of the following is the most important issue for the existence of the
State? State is in peace with its neighbors, Jewish state, democratic
state, equal state, state from Jordan to the sea, other

Total: Peace 29% Jewish 19% Democratic 17% Equal 17% River-sea 11% Other 7%
Jews: Peace 29% Jewish 22% Democratic 19% Equal 13% River-sea 13% Other 4%
Arabs: Peace 30% Jewish 10% Democratic 13% Equal 31% River-sea 2% Otter 14%

Israel is a democratic state?
Total: Yes 73% No 17% Other 10%
Jews: Yes 75% No 17% Other 8%
Arabs: Yes 64% No 16% Other 20%

What do you think citizens who disagree with the government polices should
do? organize petitions and demonstrate legally, refuse to pay taxes, oppose
government policies with force, other

Total: Protest 67% Tax rebellion 9% Force 11% Other 13%
Jews: Protests 70% Tax rebellion 9% Force 9% Other 12%
Arabs: Protests 55% Tax rebellion 7% Force 20% Other 18%

Do you want the children of immigrants from Ethiopian learn in your class?
Yes 74% No 17% Other 9%
Secular: Yes 77% No 16% Other 7%
Religious: Yes 58% No 23% Other 19%

Do you want that children of immigrants from the former Soviet Union learn
in your class?
Total: Yes 76% No 15% Other 9%
Secular: Yes 80% No 12% Other 8%
Religious Yes 55% No 32% Other 12%

Would you be prepared to have an Arab friend of the same sex?
Total Jews: Yes 63% No 34% Other 5%
Secular: Yes 71% No 23% Other 6%
Religious Yes 18% No 81% Other 1%

[IMRA: The following question is more complicated than it looks. If a
respondent understands (as by the way, the Israeli Arab leadership
maintains) that "identical rights" means either canceling the right of Jews
from around the world to immigrate and become citizens in Israel or opening
Israel's gates to Palestinian refugees and their progeny then the results
have a completely different significance.]
Should Israeli Arabs have identical rights to those of Jewish citizens in
the State of Israel?
Total: Jews Yes 47% No 46% other 7%
Secular: Yes 53% No 39% Other 8%
Religious Yes 15% No 82% Other 3%

Do you think that the slogan "death tot eh Arabs" is legitimate or racists
and illegitimate?
Total Jews: Legitimate 21% Not 73% Other 6%
Secular: Legitimate 16% Not 78% Other 6%
Religious Legitimate 45% Not 45% Other 10%

Should Israeli Arabs have to right to be elected to the Knesset?
Total Jews Yes 41% No 52% Other 7%
Secular: Yes 47 % No 47% Other 6%
Religious: Yes 11% No 82% Other 7%

To what extent do you consider yourself an Israeli patriot on a scale of 1-5
where 5 is the highest?
Jews: 1-2 6% 3 26% 4-5 63% Other 5%

To what extent do you consider yourself a Palestinian patriot on a scale of
1-5 where 5 is the highest?
Arabs: 1-2 18% 3 24% 4-5 58%

Do you want to serve in the IDF?
Jews: Yes 89% No 9% Other 2%
Religious: Yes 77% No 21% other 2%
Secular: Yes 91% No 7% Other 2%

If during the course of your military service you are ordered to evacuate a
settlement in Jude and Samaria would you follow the order or refuse?
Total Jews: Refuse 43% Follow 46% Other 11%
Secular Refuse 36% Follow 52% Other 12%
Religious: Refuse 81% Follow 11% Other 8%

Does the educational system prepare you to function a good citizen in a
democratic state?
Total: Yes 49% No 43% Other 8%
Jews: Yes 41% No 52% Other 7%
Arabs: Yes 78% No 14% Other 8%

Does the educational system contribute to the forming of your identity as a
Jew living in the State of Israel?
Total Jews: No 45% Yes 48% Other 7%
Secular: No 44% Yes 51% Other 5%
Religious No 58% Yes 32% Other 10%

Does the educational system enable you to express your culture?
Arabs: Yes 74% No 26%

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il