Itongadol/AJN.- Ten years, three mini-wars and more than 10,000 rockets and missiles seems to make the memory a selective instrument, judging by recent poll data on the 2005 withdrawal form the Gaza Strip.
That is one way to interpret results of a new Bar-Ilan University Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies poll that shows that some 59 percent of the Israeli public said they were opposed to the withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, while only 34% said that they supported the plan.
Those figures, however, do not match with the polling data at the time, that showed a strong majority of support for the deal.
A Dialogue poll for Ha\’aretz taken the week of the disengagement in 2005 found that 45 percent of Israelis supported disengagement, 33 opposed, while another 14% were still considering the matter.
And a Ma\’agar Mochot poll in July of 2005 found that 54% of the population backed disengagement from Gaza, while only 30% opposed.
According to the recent BESA Center poll, of the 34% who said that they did support the plan 10 years ago, 70% said they do not regret their support, while some 17% said they do.
The poll also showed that 43% of the population believes Israel should resettle Gush Katif, while 41% are opposed to the idea.
Regarding the possibility of a further withdrawal in Judea and Samaria, 46% of those polled said that they would oppose evacuating settlements from the area, 12% said they would support it, and 39% said it depended on the the circumstances, such as whether it was a partial or full evacuation, and whether it was part of a peace agreement.
The telephone survey – carried out by Ma\’agar Mochot – was conducted among a representative sample of 587 Israeli Jews, aged 18 and above, from July 6-10. The poll had a 4.1% margin of error.
The poll was carried out for a conference the BESA Center is holding on Wednesday marking 10 years to the Gaza withdrawal.