Survey: .4% of Israeli Jews Believe Israel Should Accept All Hamas Ceasefire Demands

JERUSALEM – The results of the latest Israeli Peace Index–a monthly survey conducted by Tel Aviv University and the Israel Democracy Institute–reveal that just .4% of Israeli Jews believe that Israel should concede to all of Hamas’ demands for a lasting ceasefire. Meanwhile, 57.8% of Israeli Jews believe that Israel “does not have to meet any of Hamas’ demands and should continue to fight until Hamas surrenders.”

The survey asked 600 Israelis, both Jewish and Arab, a number of questions related to Israel’s Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip. The confidence level of the results is 95%. Here are some other key findings from the Peace Index:

1. Performance Evaluation of the IDF in the context of Operation Protective Edge:

Israeli Jews:

• Very Good Performance: 69.7%
• Moderately Good Performance: 27.0%

Israeli Arabs:

• Very Good Performance: 10.9%
• Poor Performance: 59.5%

2. What is the best way for Israel to deal with the challenge Hamas is now posing?

Israeli Jews:

• Military Way: 25.7%
• Combination of two ways, military and political-diplomatic: 65.6%

Israeli Arabs:

• Military Way: 3.4%
• Political-Diplomatic: 71.8%

3. What are the chances that Operation Protective Edge will lead to total quiet from Gaza for at least three years from the moment that it ends?

Israeli Jews: 

• Moderately low chances: 42.3%
• Very low chances: 28.4%
• Moderately high chances: 19.4%

Israeli Arabs:

• Moderately low chances: 27.8%
• Moderately high chances: 25.4%
• Very low chances: 20.7%

4. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future of the country [of Israel] in the coming years?

Israeli Jews:

• Moderately optimistic: 40.9%
• Very optimistic: 24.3% 
• Moderately Pessimistic: 22.8%

Israeli Arabs:

• Moderately Pessimistic: 23.8%
• Very Pessimistic: 22.8%
• Very optimistic: 21.7%
• Moderately Optimistic: 18.0%

The full results of the Peace Index survey can be found here.

Israel and Hamas had been in the midst of a 24-hour ceasefire extension, set to expire at midnight on Tuesday, with Israeli and Palestinian delegations in Cairo working to secure a long-term ceasefire deal. According to Reuters, however, Israeli military now say that Hamas has broken that truce.