Molad Survey 2012

Because Molad is an Israeli think-tank focused on Israeli issues the majority of our website’s of content is in Hebrew.  As we grow, more content will become available in English. Below is the executive summary of the Molad Survey 2012, the Hebrew is availble for download as a pdf on the top righthand corner of this page:

In the spring of 2012, Molad sponsored a broad public opinion poll of the Israeli public with the help of the American survey company Gerstein Bocian Agne (GBA). The survey examined Israeli attitudes of political blocs as they relate to specific political issues. It also examined the public's image of the political blocs themselves, their stances on key public issues, and how closely they identify with the policies of the left and the right. The survey was intended to present a picture of Israeli politics today, not through the conventional view of political parties and politicians, but instead by focusing on the core issues of Israeli public life.

The data implied that Israel's left bloc has ceased to be politically relevant for substantial percentages of the Israeli public. The pointed decline in the political strength of the left over the last two decades, while the right and "center" have maintained their positions, supports this contention. The survey revealed that the left suffers from poor public image among the Israeli public, specifically among young people who are divided equally when it comes to the right. While the left enjoys a strong positive image when it comes to social issues and support for equality, it suffers from three fundamental ills in the eyes of the Israeli public: It is percieved as alienated, weak on security, and unable to to govern effectively.

On the other hand, the survey shows that despite the generally poor public image of the left, the same image does not hold true to characteristicly leftist political positions, specifically when it comes to the two key issues of Israeli politics: security and economics. Around half of the Israeli public sees a political settlement with the Palestinians as crucial, and a similar percent hold the economic positions of the left. In a few of the survey's subcategories, even stronger support fort he left-liberal camp is evident, especially when it comes to reducing Israeli economic disparities.

Thus, it appears that much of the public differentiates between "The Left" and leftist positions. The survey indicates that the left, as a political camp, has not exhausted it's potential electoral power inherent in it's stances, and suggests the possibility that the rehabilitation of its strength might be through the sharpening of the differences between Israel's political blocs in a way that jibes with public opinion. Furthermore, we can conclude from the survey's results that the Israeli left and its institutions, organizations and representatives are in need of serious reorganization, they need to exchnage new ideas and personalities in order to propose policies that offer practical, accountable action which will restore voter confidence in its abilities.  

To see the full survey in Hebrew click here. To read more about Molad click here.