Most Israelis find Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to be most suitable candidate to handle security issues, the Israel Democracy Institute Peace Index poll found on Tuesday.
Fifty-three percent of Israeli Jews chose Netanyahu as able to handle security matters, followed by Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman (28%), Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett (25%), former IDF chief of staff and Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz (22%), Tzipi Livni (19%), Labor leader Shelly Yacimovich (14%) and Yesh Atid's Yair Lapid, who scored lowest with 8%.
As for who would best handle economic matters, Yacimovich received the most votes, from 45% of the respondents. Netanyahu came in second place with 36%, then Lapid with 25%, Bennett with 20%, and Livni with 19%. Liberman and Mofaz received the least votes, with 17% and 12%, respectively.
In addition, 55% of Jewish Israelis consider themselves right-wing, while 21% say they're centrist and 17% left-wing. Half of the respondents said they would vote for secular or religious right-wing parties, 30% for the center and left, and 20% were undecided.
Two-thirds (67%) of Jewish Israelis think the peace process with Palestinians will remain at a standstill regardless of which parties win in the election, and half believe Israel should continue with its current policy, even if it will bring a confrontation with the US.
However, 60% of Jewish Israelis support a peace agreement with Palestinians based on a two-state solution, including 100% of Meretz voters, 88% of Tzipi Livni Party voters, 83% of Yesh Atid voters, 80% of Labor and Kadima voters, 52% of Likud voters, 32% of Bayit Yehudi voters, 13% of Shas voters and 10% of UTJ voters.
Over half of Jewish Israelis (58%) believe Arab neighborhoods in east Jerusalem should not be part of a Palestinian state, and 51% are against dismantling any settlements in Judea and Samaria.
The Israel Democracy Institute polled 601 respondents representing the adult Jewish population of Israel. The margin of error for the poll is 4.5%.