Poll: 91% against Obama imposing deal

Huge majority against forced plan to divide J'lem, cede Jordan Valley.

By GIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN
netanyahu obama 311 (photo credit: AP)
netanyahu obama 311
(photo credit: AP)
A huge majority of Israelis would oppose an attempt by US PresidentBarack Obama to impose a final-status agreement with the Palestinians,a poll sponsored by the Independent Media Review and Analysis (IMRA)organization found this week.
Leading American newspapersreported last week that Obama was considering trying to impose asettlement if efforts to begin indirect proximity talks between Israeland the Palestinians proved unsuccessful. The option was discussed in ameeting with current and former advisers to the White House.
Askedwhether they would support Obama imposing a plan dividing Jerusalem andremoving the Jordan Valley from Israeli control, 91 percent of Israeliswho expressed an opinion said no and 9% said yes, according to the pollof 503 Israelis, which was taken by Ma’agar Mohot on Sunday and Mondayand had a 4.5% margin of error.
Eighty-one percent said it wasimproper for Obama to try to force such a plan on the two sides, while19% of those who expressed an opinion said it was proper.
Thepoll asked whether it would create enduring peace or enduring conflictshould Jerusalem be divided, with Jewish neighborhoods remaining partof Israel and Arab neighborhoods becoming part of a Palestinian state.Eighty-four percent said conflict and 16% said peace.
The numbers were similar for the Jordan Valley, where 90% opposed relinquishing Israeli control and 10% were in favor.
Meanwhile, a poll of Palestinians conducted on April 8-10 by the Centerof Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah University in Nablusasked Palestinians whether they would accept the creation of aPalestinian state within the pre-1967 borders with a land exchange as afinal solution for the Palestinian problem, and whether they wouldsupport or reject making Jerusalem a capital for two states.
The numbers on the two-state solution were 66.7% against, 28.3% infavor, and 5% who did not know or did not express an opinion. On theJerusalem issue, 77.4 said they opposed such a plan, 20.8% were infavor, and 1.8% had no opinion or chose not to express it.