New York Times Israel Poll, March 1989

This national opinion poll, prepared by The New York Times, was conducted for the Times by the Hanoch Smith Research Center of Jerusalem. Jewish residents of Israel were surveyed for their views on the possibility of opening negotiations with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in response to PLO leader Yassir Arafat's recognition of Israel's right to exist as a state in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir's handling of Israeli foreign affairs, negotiations between the United States and the PLO, the Arab uprising in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip, and the possible establishment of a Palestinian state in all or parts of Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip. Further questions concerned the potential impact of the meeting between Shamir and United States President George Bush on the peace process, United States financial aid to Israel, and which United States president respondents viewed as having the best or least understanding of Israel's problems. Background information on respondents includes sex, age, national origin, religious self-placement, education, political party, and urban/rural locale.