EMC, ER, Essential Media, Essential Report, Greens, Israel, Labor, Liberal, Middle East, Middle East conflict, Nationals, Palestine, Peace in the Middle East, Polling, polls
Q. What, in your view, is the single biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East?
Total | Vote Labor | Vote Lib/Nat | Vote Greens | |
Unwillingness of Israelis/ Palestinians to compromise | 33% | 38% | 31% | 37% |
The Israeli (housing) settlements in areas which Palestinians claim for an independent Palestine | 6% | 6% | 7% | 14% |
Israel’s oppression of Palestinians | 8% | 8% | 8% | 15% |
Palestinian terror attacks on Israelis | 5% | 3% | 7% | 5% |
Infighting between the various Palestinian organisations (e.g. Hamas and Fatah) | 6% | 5% | 7% | 4% |
Inaction by the United Nations | 3% | 4% | 3% | 2% |
Opposition to Israel from other Middle Eastern countries | 8% | 7% | 9% | – |
Don’t know | 31% | 29% | 28% | 23% |
One third (33%) of respondents think that the unwillingness of Israelis and Palestinians to compromise is the single biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East and a further one third (31%) do not know. The remaining 36% selected a range of reasons including Israel’s oppression of Palestinians (8%) and opposition to Israel from other Middle Eastern countries (8%).
There were few substantial differences across voter groups.