Poll: 86.5% of Israelis oppose cease-fire
Survey says that should Netanyahu choose to end Gaza operation at this time,
he would be confronting the overwhelming majority of the nation.
By GIL HOFFMAN The Jerusalem Post 07/27/2014 15:35
http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Poll-865-percent-of-Israelis-oppose-cease-fire-369064

Public opinion in Israel is solidly against ending Operation Protective Edge
in the Gaza Strip according to a poll released Sunday.

The poll was conducted by respected pollster Mina Tzemach among 504
respondents, a representative sample of the Hebrew-speaking Israeli adult
population. It was sponsored by strategist Roni Rimon, who once worked with
Likud and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, but now insists he took it at
his own initiative for his own curiosity.

When asking about a potential cease-fire, the poll gave two choices. The
first endorsed a cease-fire because "Israel had enough achievements,
soldiers have died, and it is time to stop." The second said Israel cannot
accept a cease-fire because "Hamas continues firing missiles on Israel, not
all the tunnels have been found, and Hamas has not surrendered."

Only 9.7 percent chose option one, 86.5% option two, and 3.8% said they did
not know. Men were more likely to want the operation to continue than women.

Asked how they would rate the operation if a cease-fire happened today, 2.2%
said a big success, 22.6% a good result, and 47.6% a so-so result. 14.9%
said it would be a good result for Hamas, 8.7% said a great success for
Hamas, and four percent did not know.

Rimon said that when those who considered the operation's results so-so are
combined with those who believe the result of the operation was good or a
great success for Hamas, more than 71 percent are disappointed with the
operation so far.

"Israelis want victory," Rimon said. "The public has a bitter taste in its
mouth from the results of the war so far."

Rimon cautioned Netanyahu that if he agreed to a cease-fire, he would be
confronting the overwhelming majority of the nation.

"All the compliments Netanyahu has received for running the operation, his
restraint, thinking things through, and obtaining international support will
be lost and will be replaced with criticism," Rimon said. "But this is the
test of a leader. If he believes that the greater good of Israel requires a
cease-fire because of relations with the United States and the international
community, he will put ratings aside and do what he thinks is right. We
shall wait and see."