Israeli poll undercuts Netanyahu on Iran

[FarCenter]

WASHINGTON - As top US and Israeli officials prepare for a crucial set of meetings, a new survey finds little backing among the Israeli public for a military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities without Washington's approval.

Only about one in five Israelis (19% ) favor a unilateral strike without US support, according to the poll, released at a briefing at the Brookings Institution here Wednesday.

If, on the other hand, Washington gave a green light for an attack, another 42% of Israelis would favor it, according to the survey, which was conducted late last week by Israel's Dahaf Institute and has a margin or error of 4%.

The poll, organized by Shibley Telhami, a senior fellow at Brookings who teaches Middle East politics at the University of Maryland, found that 34% of the 500 Israeli respondents questioned by the pollsters oppose a strike and that a similar percentage believes such a strike would either have no effect on Iran's nuclear program (19% ) or actually accelerate it (11%).

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/NC02Ak02.html

[PDJane]

1. true, unless Washington steps up the rhetoric.