Jewish residents of the West Bank and Gaza are more open to resettlement within the Green Line alongside a Palestinian state, according to a report published on Wednesday by Israeli leftist movement Peace Now.
The purpose of the survey’s publication was to show the Israeli government that dismantlement of the Jewish communities in the West Bank and Gaza is a sustainable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A similar survey was published in July 2002; it was used as a yardstick for this year’s results.
A total of 1,100 individuals were questioned and were composed equally of residents of disputed territories and Israelis residing in pre-1967 Israel, or the control group.
Seventy four percent of respondents residing in disputed territories thought that they should receive compensation for settlement and be able to decide what to do with it. Nine percent would use the compensation to resettle in the pre-1967 zone.
However, only 36% of residents would accept compensation without resistance, compared to 67% in 2002.
The survey also indicated that Jews living in post-1967 areas are more accepting of a Palestinian state than they were last year. Sixty percent of pre-1967 border residents believe that Palestinians “deserve a state”, while 44% of West Bank and Gaza residents agree. The former figure was up twofold from 2002.
Peace Now made two demands based on the survey results: the Israeli government should prepare to dismantle the controversial settlements and re-settle residents within the Green Line and that it redirect its funding of the those communities to the compensation of its residents.
The Yesha administrative council, which governs the Jewish communities in the West Bank and Gaza, denounced the survey calling it misleading and stating that its results could be fatal to Israel, according to a report in the Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot.