Labor Party chairman Shimon Peres and other party leaders have expressed serious concern that a substantial number of Israelis may have lost faith in the democratic process because of the severe economic and social problems besetting the country.
Their concern is shared by many intellectuals and commentators as a result of a recent public opinion poll which indicated that about 40 percent of the population would be ready to forgo democracy and hand over control to a “strongman”, if only temporarily. The poll was published in the current issue of Monitin, a monthly magazine.
Forty percent of the respondents replied in the affirmative when asked if a “strongman” was needed to pull the country out of its difficulties, even if that meant a temporary suspension of democratic rule. It also indicated that 55 percent of the populace favored curbs on the communications media.
Peres told a meeting of Labor affiliated educators that the poll results gave cause for worry because many citizens no longer trust the democratic process.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
