Most Israelis, Palestinians want peace talks

Joint Israeli-Palestinian survey reveals 3 out of 4 Israelis, Palestinians oppose unilateral moves in West Bank, advocate negotiations over agreement. Meanwhile, only 37 percent of Palestinians want Hamas to recognize Jewish state

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3232433,00.html

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"Only 23 percent of Palestinians and 17 percent of Israelis prefer unilateral steps to negotiation over a settlement for the regional conflict, a new joint survey published by the Harry S. Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion in Ramallah revealed.

According to the poll, which was conducted between March 16-21, 73 percent of the Palestinian public and 76 percent of the Israeli public prefer that further withdrawals in the West Bank be carried out in the framework of bilateral talks, and not unilaterally. The poll also showed that 60 percent of Israelis support negotiations over a permanent peace agreement with Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

The survey also examined the effect of the dramatic political change in the Palestinian Authority on the willingness of both sides to mutually recognize each other's national identity, and the willingness of the Palestinians under a Hamas-led government to recognize the State of Israel. According to the poll, only 37 percent of Palestinians advocate recognition of Israel by the Hamas, while 59 percent oppose such recognition, even in the event of international pressure on the PA.

However, on conditions of peace and after the formation of an independent Palestinian state, 66 percent of Palestinians and 68 percent of Israelis are willing to mutually recognize Israel as the land of the Jewish people and Palestine as the land of the Palestinian people.

Notably, similar support figures were also expressed in a poll conducted in September 2005, before Hamas rose to power."

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