Half of Israeli Jews back Palestinians' 'expulsion or transfer' from Israel
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Nearly half of Israeli Jews believe that Palestinians with Israeli citizenship should be "expelled or transferred" from Israel, according to an authoritative survey published Tuesday.
The Pew Research Center said its survey found evidence of "deep divisions -- not only between Israeli Jews and the country's Arab minority, but also among the religious subgroups that make up Israeli Jewry."
The US fact tank based its findings on 5,601 face-to-face interviews with Israelis conducted between October 2014 and May 2015 -- before the most recent surge in violence began late last year.
The survey found that 48 percent of Israeli Jews agree -- including 21 percent strongly -- that Palestinian citizens of Israel ought to be expelled or transferred from Israel.
Only 46 percent of Israeli Jews disagreed with the position, among them only 17 percent expressing strong opposition.
The research center found that religious Israeli Jews were more likely to favor the expulsion of Palestinians -- including 71 percent of modern Orthodox Jews -- whereas a majority of self-described secular Israeli Jews were opposed to the idea.
However, even among secular Jews, more than a third, or 36 percent, backed the position, which would be illegal under international law.
Among Israel's settler population -- those living in Jewish-only settlements across the occupied Palestinian territory -- 47 percent believe Palestinians ought to be expelled or transferred, with 27 percent strongly backing the position.
However, it was not clear from the survey whether the settlers understood Israel to include the occupied Palestinian territory, where they live in violation of international law. Separately, the survey found that 65 percent of settlers believe the settlements "help Israel’s security."
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