RAMALLAH, West Bank: A new Israeli poll has found that some 23 percent of Israelis would consider leaving the country if Iran were to succeed in making a nuclear weapon.
The poll, conducted on behalf of the Center for Iranian Studies at Tel Aviv University, found that some 85 percent of respondents said they feared Iran would obtain an atomic bomb, 57 percent believed the new US initiative to engage in dialogue with Tehran would fail and 41 percent said Israel should strike Iran’s nuclear installations without waiting to see whether or how the talks develop.
The daily Haaretz quoted the head of the Center, David Menashri, as saying that the findings are worrying because they reflect an exaggerated and unnecessary fear. “Iran’s leadership is extremist but calculated and it understands an unconventional attack on Israel is an act of madness that will destroy Iran. Sadly, the survey shows the Iranian threat works well even without a bomb and thousands of Israelis (already) live in fear and contemplate leaving the country.”
Women are more fearful than men that Iran will obtain nuclear weapons: 83 percent of women respondents said they fear such a scenario in contrast to 78 percent of men; 39 percent of women said they would consider leaving Israel in such an event as opposed to 22 percent of men.
Age was also a factor for respondents: 89 percent of those aged 42 and above said they were fearful of a nuclear Iran, in comparison to 61 percent of those aged 18 to 41.
Some 80 percent of left-wing voters and 67 percent of right-wing ones expressed deep concern over a nuclear Iran. Respondents describing themselves as centrists were the most fretful, with 88 percent saying they feared Iran would obtain the bomb.
The poll was conducted among 509 people.
In a separate development, two members of the Islamic Jihad movement were killed yesterday by Israeli forces east of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip.
Mouawia Hassnein, a Health Ministry official, told reporters that the Israelis asked Palestinian officials to retrieve the bodies of the two who were shot near Kerem Shalom crossing. The men were identified as Yasin Jasser, 23, and Abdul Majeed Saleh, 22.
The Israeli Army said the soldiers noticed the two Palestinians approaching the security fence and planting a bomb near the crossing. The soldiers crossed the fence and shot both of them dead. Israeli military said combat tools, automatic rifles, magazines and explosives were found on the Palestinians.
In a statement, Islamic Jihad confirmed the chain of events.
— With input from Hisham Abu Taha
