71% of Opposition Voters Back Settlement Shift
A new survey indicates that while UK trade bans did not sway the general election, voters increasingly link personal economic pain to support for changing West Bank policies.
By Beatriz Soto ·
The aChord social research group released a survey last month showing that a majority of Israeli voters support adjusting the government’s West Bank settlement policy to prevent further international sanctions. The data reveals a clear divide between blocs, with 71% of supporters for the Change bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot favoring a policy adaptation. In contrast, only 14% of Benjamin Netanyahu bloc voters agreed, with most preferring to maintain the current approach regardless of the cost.
The survey measures the impact of UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband’s September decision to ban trade in goods from illegal settlements. Although critics argued this move would push voters toward Netanyahu, three-quarters of his bloc’s supporters said the sanctions did not affect their voting choice. The poll found no net effect on the election results from the trade ban, as voters shifted in both directions or remained unchanged. Only 18% of respondents had heard only the broad headline of the UK announcement, while 76% were aware of the specific policy.
Economic self-interest drives the shift in opinion. When asked if the settlement policy should continue even if sanctions on banks financing construction led to higher interest rates or difficulties with credit cards abroad, only 36% of all respondents agreed. The survey suggests that opposition to the settlement policy grows as the perceived personal financial damage increases. Among supporters of the Arab parties, support for a policy change to avoid isolation is strongest, while 50% of the general public believes the construction policy should be adjusted to avoid international isolation.
Foreign relations ranked as the fifth most important motivation for voting among Change bloc supporters, with 60% citing it as important or very important. Only 30% of Netanyahu bloc supporters placed similar weight on these relationships. Despite this, 70% of Netanyahu bloc supporters oppose foreign sanctions in all circumstances. Hannah Weisfeld, director of the British-Jewish organization Yachad, stated that the research illustrates the Israeli public recognizes that a policy shift is needed to avoid external incentives. She noted that the findings support the action taken by UK and other allies to target the occupation.
Support for specific measures varies significantly among the public. A majority of 52% support sanctions on individual violent settlers in the West Bank, provided the measures apply only to those acting violently. However, 63% of all respondents oppose the broader UK policy of banning the import of goods from illegal settlements. Only 26% support this measure outright or conditionally, with the condition being that the ban does not apply to goods from outside the settlements. The data shows that while there is acceptance of targeted pressure on violent actors, the trade ban remains a contentious issue for most Israelis.
