Israeli citizens largely oppose U.S. calls to de-escalate Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, according to a new poll.The poll, conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute, found that 66% of Israelis “do not think Israel should agree to US demands to shift to a phase of the war with a reduced heavy bombing in populous areas.” The Tuesday poll was released just one day after Israel announced a partial withdrawal of troops from Gaza.Among the Israeli populace, 75% of Jewish citizens opposed complying with the U.S. request, while 21% of Arab citizens opposed the idea.The poll also found dwindling support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with just 15% of respondents saying he should stay on as prime minister after the war is over.ISRAEL ANNOUNCES PARTIAL TROOP WITHDRAWAL FROM GAZA IN NEW PHASE OF HAMAS WAR Israeli citizens largely oppose U.S. calls to de-escalate Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, according to a new poll. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)Meanwhile, a large majority of Israelis support holding elections immediately after the war is concluded. Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli Knesset, led the pack of potential post-war prime ministers in the poll with 23% support, with Netanyahu in second place.ISRAELI SOLDIERS TARGETED IN ‘EXTREMELY BLOODY AND INTENSE’ BATTLES AS GAZA STRIP TENSIONS RISE The poll found dwindling support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with just 15% of respondents saying he should stay on as prime minister after the war is over. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP)Nevertheless, Netanyahu has indicated that the war in Gaza will go on for “many more months,” and the Israeli populace largely supports his efforts.ISRAELI SUPREME COURT HANDS NETANYAHU A LOSS ON JUDICIAL OVERHAUL AS HAMAS WAR RAGESAccording to the poll, 56% of Israelis believe that continuing intensive fighting in Gaza remains the most effective means of getting their hostages home. That broke down to 65% of Jewish citizens and just 11.5% of Arab citizens. According to the poll, 56% of Israelis believe that continuing intensive fighting in Gaza remains the most effective means of getting their hostages home. That broke down to 65% of Jewish citizens and just 11.5% of Arab citizens. (Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPIDI conducted the poll from Dec. 25-28, with 605 men and women interviewed in Hebrew and 151 in Arabic. The poll used a combination of online surveys and phone interviews. The organization placed the margin of error at 3.5%. Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.
