Poll: Half of the Israeli public supports the occupation and displacement of Gaza; sharp gaps between the coalition and the opposition

SadaNews - A recent opinion poll has shown that 49% of the Israeli public supports the complete occupation of the Gaza Strip and the displacement of Palestinians from there, as well as the establishment of settlements on their land, while 44% of respondents expressed their support for a complete or partial withdrawal from the strip. The poll, conducted by the "Samet" Institute and published by the "Walla" news website late Thursday - Friday, indicates sharp gaps between the coalition and opposition camps, as more than two-thirds of voters from coalition parties (71%) expressed their support for the occupation of Gaza and the displacement of its residents, compared to only about one-fifth of opposition party voters (17%). When analyzing the data by coalition parties, it was found that voters of the "Likud" party were relatively the most moderate, with 63% supporting the occupation of Gaza, compared to 80% among voters of the "Religious Zionism" party and 89% among voters of "Shas". In contrast, one-third of "Likud" voters (30%) support complete or partial withdrawal, a figure that is significantly higher than that of other parties in the coalition. Among opposition parties, a contrasting position emerged, with 49% of their voters supporting complete withdrawal with the establishment of a buffer zone one kilometer deep inside Gaza, while 28% preferred a gradual withdrawal over one to two years. The most hardline stance within the opposition camp was recorded by the "Yisrael Beiteinu" party, where 33% of its voters supported the occupation of Gaza and the establishment of settlements there, a significantly higher percentage than that of the "National Camp" party, which stood at 18%, and the "Yesh Atid" party, which reached 10%. It is noted that the poll was conducted by the "Samet" Institute on August 20 and 21 through a representative electronic platform, involving 650 Jewish adults within a representative sample, with a maximum margin of error of 4%.