By Stan Goodenough
Jun 12, 2009
A strong majority of the Israeli people this week messaged their prime minister to withstand US pressure aimed at bulldozing the creation of an Arab state on historic Jewish lands.
According to the results of a poll published across the local press Friday afternoon, shortly before the start of the Sabbath, nearly six out of every 10 Israelis think Benjamin Netanyahu should reject the Obama administration's demands to end completely the construction of communities in the biblical heartland of Samaria and Judea.
The Associated Press cited the poll, which was conducted by the Maagar Mohot Polling Institute, as finding that "56 percent of those surveyed said Netanyahu should not consent to the American demand to halt all settlement construction, as opposed to 37 percent who said he should. Fifty percent said failure to comply would not provoke a crisis with the US, while 32 percent said they thought the settlement freeze was a "make or break" issue for Washington."
Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver a major policy speech Sunday morning that is expected to address - albeit diplomatically - President Barack Obama's belligerent foray into Middle East politics, the Israeli-'Palestinian' conflict and the Iranian nuclear threat to Israel - an issue Washington has relegated to a position of secondary importance.
The prime minister met with coalition partners and opposition Knesset members Friday as he continued to prepare his speech.
He also met with the European Union's pushy foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who is visiting Israel to add Europe's weight to the White House's demands.
The Jerusalem Post quoted Solana as telling Netanyahu there was "no better plan" than the two-state solution.
This "solution" calls for the peace-loving Israelis to give their land to the Jew-hating Palestinian Arabs who remain committed to destroying what would be left of Israel.