Israelis Say They Approve of Unity Government Despite Policy Complaints

A substantial majority of Israelis want the national unity coalition government to serve out the remainder of its term despite widespread dissatisfaction with its handling of the peace issue and major domestic problems apart from the economy, according to the latest opinion poll published Tuesday.

The poll was conducted last week by the Hanoch and Rafi Smith Research Center among 1,135 Jewish adults. It was commissioned by the Jeane Kirkpatrick Forum for Public Leadership and Public Policy, which will meet here from May 31-June 2 on the topic of national unity governments where power is shared by parties of opposing political and ideological views.

The poll found that 29 percent of the respondents believe the Labor-Likud unity government is functioning well while 44 percent said it was operating “reasonably” well. Of the respondents, 38 percent felt the government should finish its term and 20 percent thought it should continue as long as the two major parties cooperated.

A minority of 36 percent favored termination of the coalition regime in the near future.

GOOD GRADE ON ECONOMIC MATTERS

Nearly two-thirds of the respondents gave the unity government high marks for managing the economy and the situation in Lebanon, but only a quarter were satisfied with the way it dealt with West Bank affairs and the country’s social and religious-secular problems.

No more than 34 percent thought the government was doing a good job with the peace process; 57 percent expressed dissatisfaction and nine percent had no opinion, on the question of whether Israel should be governed by a national coalition in the future, after the next elections, nine percent replied in the affirmative and 20 percent were favorably disposed but with reservations. Another 23 percent would accept a national government only if there was no other choice and 42 percent were definitely opposed. The Kirkpatrick Forum, named for the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, will consider the proposition: “The power-sharing politics of national unity governments — cure or predicament?

The discussants will include Israeli Cabinet Ministers and politicians and guests from abroad including U.S. Secretary of Labor William Brock; the Defense Minister and former Deputy Prime Minister of Portugal, Dr. Rui Machete; Dr. Barnadino Gomes, executive assistant to President Mario Soares of Portugal; Michael Lingens, editor of Austrian news weekly Profile; and Prof. Felix Ermacora of the University of Vienna.

They will consider the effects of national unity governments on the political establishments, on the decision-making processes, on parliamentary, social and economic processes and on political ideologies.