Israelis are pessimistic about the prospects for a peace deal in the foreseeable future and fear a new war with Hamas may be in the offing, but are confident Israel’s security forces can overcome any challenge they may face, a new poll shows.
According to a study by the Israel Democracy Institute’s Guttman Center in conjunction with Tel Aviv University, majorities of both Israeli Arabs and Jews believe the chances of President Donald Trump succeeding in bringing Israel and the Palestinian Authority back to the negotiating table are low, and see the odds of a peace deal in the foreseeable future as even lower.
Trump envoy Jason Greenblatt is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday for his sixth round of meetings with Israeli and PA leaders since Trump’s inauguration this January.
The meetings are reportedly to set the groundwork for a regional peace summit later this year, at which both Israel and the PA will announce their return to the negotiating table.
But just 3.6% of Israeli Jews and 7.8% of Israeli Arabs think the chances are very high that Israel and the PA will actually resume peace talks. Overall, just 32.2% of Jews and 33.3% of Israeli Arabs believe it is likely the two sides will return to the negotiating table as a result of the president’s efforts.
Nearly two-thirds (62.6%) of Jews and 55.2% of Arabs believe it is unlikely peace talks will resume in the near future. READ MORE
