Most Israelis oppose US push for Israel to scale back Hamas war: poll

Israeli citizens largely oppose U.S. calls to de-escalate Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, according to a new poll.

The poll, conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute, found that 66% of Israelis “do not think Israel should agree to US demands to shift to a phase of the war with a reduced heavy bombing in populous areas.” The Tuesday poll was released just one day after Israel announced a partial withdrawal of troops from Gaza.

Among the Israeli populace, 75% of Jewish citizens opposed complying with the U.S. request, while 21% of Arab citizens opposed the idea.

The poll also found dwindling support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with just 15% of respondents saying he should stay on as prime minister after the war is over.

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Meanwhile, a large majority of Israelis support holding elections immediately after the war is concluded. Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli Knesset, led the pack of potential post-war prime ministers in the poll with 23% support, with Netanyahu in second place.

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Nevertheless, Netanyahu has indicated that the war in Gaza will go on for “many more months,” and the Israeli populace largely supports his efforts.

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According to the poll, 56% of Israelis believe that continuing intensive fighting in Gaza remains the most effective means of getting their hostages home. That broke down to 65% of Jewish citizens and just 11.5% of Arab citizens.

IDI conducted the poll from Dec. 25-28, with 605 men and women interviewed in Hebrew and 151 in Arabic. The poll used a combination of online surveys and phone interviews. The organization placed the margin of error at 3.5%.