Public support for prioritizing a hostage deal over destroying Hamas climbed to 72% in July, after being at 67% in June and 46% in May, the Hostage Family Forum announced Wednesday, citing a survey from Midgam Research and Consulting.
“We remind the prime minister that bringing home the hostages is a moral, security, national imperative of the first order,” the forum said.
In July, just 21% of Israelis supported prioritizing toppling Hamas over bringing the hostages home, when asked what Israel’s government should do now.
In June, 27% of Israelis supported toppling Hamas as the government’s first priority.
The forum has called upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to open his speech to the US Congress with the simple words “There is a deal,” it announced Wednesday, immediately prior to the speech.
Views on PM, hostage deal
In May, over half (51%) of Center-Right and right-wing voters supported the signing of a deal to release the hostages held by Hamas – even at the risk of disbanding the coalition and going to elections – according to a poll published by the Berl Katznelson Foundation and Midgam Research and Consulting.
The same poll, from May, found that 57% of Israelis believe that Netanyahu’s conduct is delaying efforts to reach a hostage deal – with 38% of Center-Right and right-wing voters holding the same view.
In contrast, another 38% of Center-Right and right-wing voters believe that Netanyahu’s conduct is helping, not harming, efforts to reach a hostage deal.