Most Israelis support uprooting West Bank settler outposts: poll

Jun 5, 2009, 10:44 GMT

Tel Aviv - A large majority of Israelis - 70 per cent - support the removal of unauthorized settlers' outposts in the occupied West Bank, an opinion poll published Friday indicated.

Only one fourth of Israelis oppose such a move, while the remaining 5 per cent had no opinion, according to the poll commissioned by the biggest-selling Yediot Ahronot daily, which questioned some 500 people and had margin of error of 4.4 per cent.

A majority, albeit a narrow one (52 per cent), also supports a construction freeze in existing settlements. Some 43 per cent are against.

A similar majority (54 per cent) believes at the same time that any settlement freeze should not be absolute and construction 'for the sake of natural growth' should be allowed.

Most Israelis, currently some 55 per cent, support the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Most (53 per cent), meanwhile, nonetheless believe that US President Barak Obama is 'not good for Israel,' against 26 per cent who do not believe so.

Some 51 per cent also said they were 'disappointed' with Obama's policy toward their country, while the same small majority of 51 per cent (against 22 per cent who did not believe so) charged he was being 'more considerate' of the Palestinians' desire for a state than of Israel's security needs.

The new Israeli government of hardline Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which took office two months ago following February 10 elections in which the right-wing bloc headed by his Likud party won a majority of mandates, has refused to Obama's demand for a total settlement freeze.

Netanyahu has said he will instead uproot the so-called unauthorized outposts, set up by settlers next to existing settlements without formal government approval.