The results of a survey conducted by an Israeli research institute, that included 500 Jews living in all areas of Israel, about their views on a potential Israeli withdrawal from Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem – was recently published. This topic has been an almost taboo for any discussion or debate until a short while ago, based on an illusion or a general conviction among the Israeli public; that all Jerusalem, with all its current municipal boundaries, is the indivisible eternal capital of Israel which should never be, even partially, evacuated by any means.
Though this survey might not accurately reflect the perspective of the Israeli general public regarding this issue, its conclusions could indicate a substantial change in the Israelis’ opinions. A summary of these conclusions shows that nearly 60 percent of those surveyed support the evacuation of Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem – as a part of a final solution with the Palestinians. There is, however, a smaller percentage (3.2%), which constitutes existent sectors in the Israeli society, does not object to the idea of withdrawal from these neighborhoods, and even from the Mount of Olives and The Western Wall. A bigger group than the previous one (5.4%), agrees with the idea of evacuating the Arab neighborhoods, Mount of Olives and the Jewish Quarter, while it sticks to maintaining the Israeli control over the Western Wall.
This was a general summary of the unprecedented survey – as it indicated, for the first time that a change has occurred in the traditional ideological staunch positions which prevailed for several decades in the Israeli society. Consequent Israeli leaderships have always bet on these positions, flattering the demagogic emotions, through launching extremist statements and voicing loud Noes with regard to the future of the sacred city and particularly the Arab sector that was added to the boundaries of the Jerusalem Municipality in the aftermath of the1967 War, in addition to the lands illegally confiscated to construct a settlement belt around the Arab East Jerusalem surrounding the three sides of city northward, eastward and southward.
It is too early, despite what this survey might imply, to conclude an optimistic speculation from its results. The questions posed by its researchers on the subjects in similar surveys are encircled with preconditions that it makes it almost impossible to evaluate these surveys as completely credible. As an example, the assumption to evacuate Jerusalem, or rather its Arab neighborhoods, was accompanied with a condition that the evacuation might be conducted within a peaceful settlement with the Palestinian side. There was a conviction amongst the participants that was expressed in their reply to a question about their confidence in the Palestinian readiness to achieve peace with the Israelis – to which they replied in the negative.
In all cases, it is possible for any moderate Israeli government to use the results of this survey as a foundation or a springboard to activate a just peace process, aimed at bringing security and stability for both the Palestinians and the Israelis. The essence of the matter relates to the existence of an Israeli leadership keen on directing its people to the main goal of any viable peace process – namely the recognition of the national Palestinian rights in all the lands occupied in the 1967 War – including East Jerusalem. The basic theme in the recent survey is that it is a clear indication that the first signs of a new reality has started to emerge in the Israeli society, which might positively effect the development of the situation in the region hopefully to the better.
N.B – This article was written before Hamas victory in the recent Palestinian elections which might affect the Israeli attitude towards the subject of the survey.
Mohammed S. Abdallah
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Mohammed Shaker Abdallah is the editorial page editor at Al-Quds.