71% of Israelis oppose Palestinian state; 68% support sovereignty in J&S: poll

Seventy-one percent of Israelis oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria. Nearly 70% want to extend Israeli sovereignty over the area, according to a poll conducted on Jan. 29. The survey comes on the background of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s departure on Sunday to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.

“The findings are public just in time for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit with President Trump. Bibi can now go to the president of the United States with a clear statement that this is the will of the people of Israel,” Avi Abelow, CEO of Pulse of Israel, which co-sponsored the poll, told JNS.

The future of Judea and Samaria, commonly known as the West Bank, is likely to be discussed between the two leaders as diplomatic relations with Arab countries is expected to be a key topic. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has signaled that a Palestinian state is a condition for normalization of relations with Jerusalem. (Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer said during a Jan. 22 speech in the Knesset plenum that Israel has made “no such promise.”)  (Read More)