Most Israelis back direct talks with Hamas on cease-fire

By Xinhua

Jerusalem : According to a poll conducted Tuesday, sixty-four percent of Israelis say the government must hold direct talks with the Hamas government in Gaza toward a cease-fire and the release of captive soldier Gilad Shalit.


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The figures, obtained in a Ha’aretz-Dialogue poll, also showed that 28 percent still opposes such talks.

According to the findings, Israelis are fed up with seven yearsof Qassam rockets falling on Sderot and the communities near Gaza, as well as the fact that Shalit has been held captive for more than a year and a half.

An increasing number of public figures, including senior officers in the Israel Defense Forces’ reserves, have expressed similar positions on talks with Hamas.

It now appears that this opinion is gaining traction in the wider public, which until recently vehemently rejected such talks.

The poll also showed that Likud voters are much more moderate than their Knesset (parliament) representatives. About half (48 percent) support talks with Hamas.

In Kadima, 55 percent are in favor of talks, while among Labor voters, the number jumps to 72 percent.

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