Table of Contents Preface Part I: Middle East Strategic Assessment / Shlomo Brom Chapter 1: Major Developments in the Middle East Chapter 2: The Israeli-Arab Sphere: Crisis and Consequences Israel and the Palestinians Syria, Lebanon and Israel Regional Effects of the Israeli-Palestinian Violence Chapter 3: The Gulf: Back to the Future Iraq Rattles its Cage, Again Iran: Reform in Retreat Chapter 4: The Role of Extra-Regional Actors U.S. Policy at a Crossroads September 11 and its Middle East Aftermath Russia:...
Results of the 2002 public opinion poll on national security indicated that Israeli public opinion continued to shift to the right, as the terror campaign waged by the Palestinians since September 2000 escalated. Israelis were worried to an unprecedented degree both about their personal security and about Israel’s national security, with an overwhelming majority of respondents expressing fear that they or a family member would fall victim to a terrorist attack. These and other results charted the dominant concerns of Israelis...
Israeli public opinion took a sharp turn to the right with the onset of violence in September 2000. The rise in violence led to increased gloom about the short-term prospects for peace and about the state of Israeli national security. These were among the main findings for 2001 of the annual public opinion poll on national security issues conducted by the Jaffee Center.
The election of Ehud Barak as prime minister in 1999 initially led to a flurry of activity in the peace process and optimism that far reaching agreements with the Palestinians and Syrians were imminent. By the time the public opinion poll of 2000 was conducted, the national mood was far less confident. The peace talks were at a virtual standstill, and the IDF was suffering casualties in Lebanon. This is the backdrop for this year’s results of the annual public opinion poll on national security issues.
The 1998 findings for the annual public opinion poll on national security issues show that two thirds of respondents felt that the peace process had enhanced feelings of personal security in the country. Support for continuing the peace talks was high, notwithstanding a shift to the right regarding the contents of the talks. A majority, albeit smaller than the previous year, continued to oppose a unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon.
The 1997 findings for the annual public opinion poll on national security issues showed the public maintaining its previous support of continued negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, despite the change in the Israeli government. Among the other findings: acceptance of the establishment of a Palestinian state grew, reaching a majority for the first time. In addition, a majority favored a national unity government in Israel.
