A poll published on Channel 12 News on Friday evening found that a majority of Israelis support the maritime border agreement with Lebanon, and say that it was appropriate to sign it even during an election period.
Asked whether it was right to sign the agreement during an election period, 47% of respondents said they support signing the agreement during this period, while 36% answered in the negative, 17% answered that they do not know.
Poll respondents were also asked what were Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s main motives in deciding to reach the agreement.
- 47% think that Lapid’s motives were political, compared to 41% who think that the motives were out of concern for the security and economy of the State of Israel.
12% answered that they do not know.
In addition, against the background of Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to the agreement and the harsh criticism against Lapid, the survey also asked what the opposition leader’s motives were in the fight against the agreement.
57% of respondents said that Netanyahu’s motives were political, compared to 31% who said that the motives came out of concern for Israel’s security and economy.
12% answered that they do not know.
Israel’s security cabinet voted on Wednesday afternoon to back the maritime boundary deal with Lebanon, sending the tentative agreement to the full cabinet for ratification.
Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked voted against the agreement, while Alternate Prime Minister Naftali Bennett backed the agreement, even as he downplayed its significance.
- Despite pressure from the opposition to bring the deal to a vote in the full Knesset, the government will only allow the Knesset to review the agreement, but without holding a vote on the matter.
- Lapid on Wednesday hailed the maritime agreement with Lebanon as a “great achievement for the State of Israel, for Israel’s security and for Israel’s economy”.
- Netanyahu, meanwhile, accused the government of surrendering to the Hezbollah terrorist organization.
Source: Arutz Sheva
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