Two new polls show that the Israeli public backs the Netanyahu government’s position that holding the Egypt-Gaza border is critical to Israel’s security.

By David Isaac, JNS

Two new polls reveal that a majority of Israelis support maintaining control of the Philadelphi Corridor, the 8.7-mile-long strip of land extending the length of the Egypt-Gaza border, even at the expense of a hostage deal with Hamas.

Forty-nine percent of Jewish Israelis agreed with the statement, “Israel must not relinquish control of the Philadelphi Corridor even at the expense of a hostage deal,” according to the most recent poll, conducted on Sept. 1 just hours after news broke of the murder of six Israeli hostages by Hamas.

Forty-three percent of those surveyed supported the statement, “Israel should give up control of the Philadelphi Corridor to enable a hostage deal.”

The poll was conducted by The Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), a left-leaning, Israel-based think tank.

The second survey, conducted by polling firm Direct Polls on July 24, asked, “Do you agree with the statement that ‘Israel needs to control in a permanent way the Philadelphi Corridor in order to prevent weapons smuggling from Egypt to terror organizations in the Gaza Strip?’”

Seventy-nine percent agreed or agreed “very strongly” with the statement. Six percent didn’t agree or “completely didn’t agree.” Sixteen percent had no position.

The survey was carried out for a new group called “Gaza Forever.” It describes itself as a “movement for the humanitarian evacuation of all residents of Gaza to the nations of the world.”

According to a statement on the group’s website, “In an evacuation-compensation process, all residents of Gaza who desire it will be evacuated to a better home in another country.”

Following the news of the six hostages’ murders, large-scale protests took place across Israel on Monday, blocking roads in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The protests continued on Tuesday.

The Histadrut, Israel’s labor federation, held a general strike on Monday, joining with the protesters in holding the government responsible.

“A deal is not progressing due to political considerations and that cannot be accepted. The abandonment of the hostages, of the displaced, of the collapsing economy must be stopped,” Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David said on Sunday, announcing the strike.

However, Israel’s National Labor Court ordered the strike cut short, ruling it was politically motivated and therefore illegal.

Many local government authorities had refused to join the strike, including those of Jerusalem, Ashdod, Netanya, Ramla, Dimona, Sderot, Holon, Petah Tikva, Safed, all townships in Judea and Samaria, and others.

The polls suggest that the demonstrators, though a large and vocal minority, do not represent most Israelis.

JPPI noted in the summary of its poll: “The survey proved that the position of the government is in line with the prevailing sentiment among its supporters, and a plurality of the Jewish public.”

Israel’s Security Cabinet voted on Sept. 29 to support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s position that Israel must maintain a military presence along the Philadelphi Corridor indefinitely. Only Defense Minister Yoav Gallant voted against.

Addressing the nation on Monday night, Netanyahu called the corridor “the oxygen and the arming of Hamas.”

“The axis of evil needs the Philadelphi Corridor; for this reason, we need the Philadelphi Corridor,” he added.

If Israel gives up control of the border area as Hamas has demanded during the ongoing ceasefire talks, the remaining captives could be smuggled out to Egypt and from there to Iran or Yemen, said Netanyahu.

He went on to say that he had been “absolutely shocked” that Gallant had voted against the Cabinet decision.