A recent poll conducted by the Dahaf Institute for the Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs in Israel, however, is added proof of the official Israeli line. It shows conclusively how the Israeli public views the prospects of peace with the Palestinians, and it is not encouraging either!
The poll found that 77 per cent of Israelis of all shades of opinion are against the return to the pre-1967 borders, even in exchange for peace with the Palestinians.
Eighty-five per cent of those polled want to keep the whole city of Jerusalem united, a euphemism for keeping it under Israeli occupation.
And it doesn’t stop there. The poll reveals that 85 per cent of all Israelis insist on keeping the Jordan River border under full Israeli grip.
What these figures prove, besides showing worrisome lack of desire to even initiate talks that might lead to peace, is the prevalence of the fortress mentality among Israelis, the premium they put, as an overwhelming majority, on security rather than on peace agreements - bizarre as it is, for logic dictates that peace automatically ensures security, a notion Israelis seem to lack.
Frankly, these findings do not come as a big surprise, at least not for us, in the region. Israel has long behaved like a belligerent, not like a peace-loving country.
Under the circumstances, the Palestinians need to carefully navigate the murky waters of this reality, and act accordingly. There is little or no hope the official Israeli perspective on peace will change as long as the “popular” sentiment stands where it is today.
Since the Palestinians have no chance to arrive at a peaceful settlement with the Israelis, the only option they have is to go to the United Nations, as indeed planned.
Now that the international community has been clearly shown that Israel wishes to maintain its occupation of Palestinian land, it might find it easier to vote for an end to it.
8 June 2011
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