Poll: 36% of Israelis want to revoke Arab voting rights

Published yesterday (updated) 16/10/2010 22:01

TEL AVIV (Ma'an) --

A survey released Friday by the Dahaf polling agency reveals that many Israeli Jews favor anti-democratic values, with 36 percent in favor of revoking the Palestinian minority's right to vote, Israeli media reported.

The poll, headed by Dr Mina Tzemach, was held following an amendment to the Citizenship Act passed on Sunday, in which non-Jews are made to pledge allegiance to Israel as a "Jewish and democratic state," Israeli news site Ynet wrote.

Half of Israeli religious Jews surveyed for the poll and 68 percent of Haredim, followers of Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, rejected the Palestinian minority in Israel's right to vote, despite being citizens. Around 25 percent of Israelis identifying themselves as secular were of the same opinion.

The poll also found that 69 percent of Israeli Jews support the amendment to the Citizenship Act approved by the government, which several high-profile Israelis have described as fascist.

As to other democratic values, 55 percent of those polled justify harming freedom of speech in times of political difficulty, and 57 percent oppose non-violent protests held during military operations. The poll also found that one quarter of Israelis believed in transferring power to a dictator, revealing that 20 percent Israeli-born citizens would back the move while over 53 percent of immigrants who were not raised in Israel said the same.

However, Dahaf found that just 3 percent of Israeli Jews support fascism and just 10 percent define themselves as nationalistic, while 80 percent identify completely with democratic values. Two-thirds of those polled said they were alarmed by the possibility of fascism being implemented in Israel, Ynet wrote.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was said by 56 percent to be the foremost Israeli politician who contributes to nationalistic extremism and fascism in Israel.