Majority of Israelis support Sharon on Palestinian state
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 5/15/2002

A large majority of Israelis support Palestinian statehood and disagree with a decision by the ruling Likud party nixing the establishment of a Palestinian state, according to an opinion poll published on Tuesday.

At a previous public meeting in February with US President George Bush, Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that through negotiations "And at the end of the process, I believe that the Palestinian state, of course, will be -- we'll see a Palestinian state."

The poll, published in the Israeli Yediot Ahronot daily, found that two-thirds agreed with the view of Premier Ariel Sharon, who defied his own party and said a decision on the matter should be postponed.

Only 28 per cent agreed with the resolution, proposed at a Likud Central Committee meeting Sunday night by Sharon's rival for the party leadership, former premier Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to the poll, even a majority of Likud voters - 64 per cent - supported Sharon's position, while 35 per cent supported Netanyahu's.

Among the general Israeli public, 63 per cent said they supported the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of a peace agreement.

Among Likud voters however, only 43 per cent said they supported Palestinian statehood.

Previous Stories:
  Amnesty International: Israeli occupation forces torture and mistreats Palestinians   (5/14/2002)
  Palestinian state not subject to Likud whims   (5/14/2002)
  Over 60,000 Israeli pacifists hold rally for end to Israeli occupations   (5/14/2002)
  US vows support for founding the Palestinian state   (5/14/2002)
  Palestinian evacuees cling to return back home   (5/13/2002)
  UN General Assembly condemned assaults by Israeli occupying forces against the Palestinian people   (5/9/2002)
  Asked by Assembly, UN Secretariat will report on Jenin, other Palestinian   (5/9/2002)
  Sharon confers with US President Bush   (2/8/2002)

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