It's so clear to me that so many so called "anti Zionists" - especially the non Palestinian goyim - have no idea how the Israeli election system works, and how bibi remains in power, and why we had five elections in like, three years, despite elections supposedly being every four years - because he couldn't keep a government stable enough to stay in power. Bibi netanyahu is MASSIVELY unpopular, and his approval rate has tanked even more since the war started, even among likud voters, the people who vote for HIS party (although their approval rates ranked less than the rest of the population). He has an extreme right wing government because if he didn't cooperate with right wing extremists and haredim he straight up wouldn't have the majority he needs to be our prime minister in the first place. He's been on trial for corruption for years at this point, and tried to completely restructure the judicial system just to avoid prison - leading to nearly a full year of protests until Oct 7. Luckily it didn't end up passing.
If elections were held at any point in the last five months since this war started, not only would he not be PM, we'd straight up have a center-left government. My recent transformation into a Yair Golan stan account is a joke but also 100% real - according to polls from the last three months or so, if he does what he's campaigning to do, leading a combined avoda and meretz party, he'd get enough votes to have an actual influential left wing party in the government for the first time in decades. An unbelievable amount of Israelis are calling for bibi to resign, many of them not calling for it to happen after the war ends, but right now.
I am sourcing this information from polls conducted by channels 11 (kan), 12, and 13, as well as by the Israeli democracy foundation, all but one of our important news channels - channel 14, the last channel, is our equivalent of fox news, and despite their numbers often being extremely different due to what is in my opinion biased reporting and flawed methodology, even they at times have had to admit that gantz is currently leading in the polls.
(Disclaimer that I work for a company that provides subtitles for channel 13, but i do not directly work for channel 13. Channel 13 leans mostly center left, and employs several (self identified) Arab Israelis in front of the camera, including Lucy Aharish, who makes considerable effort to bring Palestinian and Bedouin perspectives to her show. It also employs at least one massive racist though.)
I write this post because I keep seeing an unsourced claim by goyim that there's a poll showing a high rate of approval - 88%! - of the destruction and/or deaths Israel and the IDF are causing in Gaza. I went down a rabbit hole and simply couldn't find a poll asking about approval of deaths or destruction, although maybe I was looking up the wrong keywords? As a result I have just... So many questions. Because with the information I have from trustworthy local news sources, from the news channels I mentioned above and papers such as yediot aharonot/ynet and Haaretz, it doesn't fit with current public opinion, including many recent protests for more efforts towards a ceasefire. So my questions are thus -
Who conducted this poll? Was it a think tank, a government agency, a paper, a news channel? If so, which one? Are they left leaning, right leaning? Was it conducted by an Israeli or foreign institution?
Who did they ask? Was it a sample of likud voters; all Israeli adults; did they include only Jewish Israelis or also Arab citizens (approx. 1.5 million out of our 8 million population), Bedouins, and other minorities?
When was the poll conducted? Was it in October, immediately after the Oct 7 massacre, before the death toll in Gaza grew? Was it conducted more recently?
What, exactly, did they ask? Did they ask about destruction in general, or about the death toll in particular? Did they ask about the attempts to rescue hostages with military means, or all military actions? Did they ask about the number of Hamas operatives dead, about their estimated ratio of Hamas to civilians, about the total deaths?
What was the size of the pool surveyed? Was it conducted on a few dozen, a few hundred, or a few thousand people?
Because without this information, that one, sole statistic is essentially useless. As Mark Twain said, there are lies, damned lies, and statistics. Always look at the source and ask: who asked the questions, who got asked, and what the questions were.
More specific statistics and sources under the cut.
I did find one survey by the Israel democracy foundation that asked if the IDF should take the Gazan suffering into account - an entirely different question, although it did still have a horrific 89% Jewish Israelis and 14% Arab Israelis and Palestinian citizens who said they shouldn't. That said, the pool they were drawing from was not very large - 500 of the interviews were conducted in Hebrew, 100 were conducted in Arabic. Also, of the people who supposedly said that they shouldn't, a little more than half of both populations said they should "somewhat" take it into account - that is, they didn't say they shouldn't take it into account at all, just not make it their first priority. This survey was conducted mid December.
In another survey by the same source with a slight larger sample size (a little over 600 Jewish Israelis and a little over 150 Arab Israelis), an insanely low 15% still wanted Bibi to be the PM, with the only candidate who received more than 6.5% being the center candidate Benny Gantz, who historically has tried to cooperate with center and left parties, with a whopping 23% of the votes. The survey included 10 candidates, as well as five other non candidate options. 4% voted "just not Bibi", and an actually insane 30.5% voted they were undecided. Only a quarter of those surveyed believed Bibi would manage to maintain a coalition after the war, a number that includes more extreme right wing voters, and only the ultra Orthodox haredi population had a majority of people (60%) who believed he can. This survey was conducted in January.
The channel 13 news survey from early March - barely over a week ago! - covered more specifically which parties would manage to get into the government and how many seats they would get, as under a certain amount of votes you simply do not get seats. Not all seats get into a coalition. According to their poll, the amount of seats the likud would get is halved, from 32 to 17, while gantz's the state camp would grow from 12 to 39. While currently meretz gets 4 seats and haavodah do not get enough votes to get a seat at the table so to speak, a combined haavodah and meretz under Yair Golan gets 9 mandates. In total, the right wing only get 47 mandates, well short of the amount of mandates necessary to create a government.
Channel 12's corresponding poll from January shows 35 mandates for gantz, and bibi had 18 mandates. Channel 11, in the same month, gave gantz 33 mandates and bibi 20.
I also sources an English Jerusalem post article which reports on channel 14's polls; jpost is a right wing biased paper, and yet even they report 36 mandates for gantz and 18 for bibi as of February.
Sources
The Israel democracy institute: 1 (English), 2 (Hebrew), 3 (Hebrew)
Haaretz: 1 (English) (paywalled)
Channel 13: 1 (Hebrew)
Ma'ariv: 1 (Hebrew) (reporting on channel 12)
Podcast which summarizes the above article: 1 (English) (includes transcript)
Kan 11: 1 (Hebrew)
Jpost: 1 (Hebrew)
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Who are the hostages still held by Hamas?
On October 7, 2023, 253 Israelis and foreign nationals were kidnapped to Gaza by Hamas and gazan civilians. Since then, 105 were released in a prisioner exchange deal, 4 were released by Hamas and 3 were rescued.
However, 134 remain in captivity (4 of those were kidnapped prior to 2023). A recent investigation has concluded that more than a fifth of the hostages are dead and the fate of some other hostages remains unknown. This video explains how doctors determine which hostages are dead, based on the nature of their injury and by analyising footage and the victims' last phone calls. Additionally, during the operation in Gaza, the IDF has recovered the bodies of a few victims and returned to their families for burial.
Since I couldn't find this all in one place, I've compiled a list of: 1) hostages who are presumed alive; 2) hostaged whose death has been reported/confirmed; 3) hostages who were released or rescued. In the group of hostages presumed to be alive who haven't been released, the youngest is 1-year-old Kfir Bibas and the oldest hostage is Iraqi-born 85-year old Shlomo Mansour.
As we learn more information, I'll continue to update this post.
They need to come back home. I'm hoping for more successful rescue operations soon. Keep them in your thoughts.
Hostages still held by Hamas (presumed alive or fate unknown):
(1) (2) (3)
Abraham Eitan Mor (23)
Abraham Munder (79)
Agam Berger (19)
Alex Danzig (75)
Alexander (Sasha) Trupanob (28)
Alexander Lobanov (32)
Almog Meir Jan (21)
Almog Sarusi (26)
Alon Ohel (22)
Amiram Cooper (85)
Andrey Kozlov (27)
Arbel Yehoud (28)
Ariel Bibas (4)
Ariel Cunio (26)
Avera Mengistu (37) – Has been held hostage since 2014
Avinathan Or (30)
Bar Kupershtein (22)
Bipin Joshi (23)
Carmel Gat (39)
Chaim Peri (79)
Daniel Gilboa (19)
David Cunio (33)
Dolev Yehoud (35)
Doron Steinbrecher (30)
Edan Alexander (20)
Eden Yerushalmi (24)
Eitan Horn (37)
Eli Sharabi (51)
Eliya Cohen (26)
Elkana Bohbot (34)
Evytar David (23)
Gadi Moses (79)
Gali Berman (26)
Guy Gilboa-Dalal (22)
Hamzah Al-Zayadni (22)
Hersh Goldberg Polin (23)
Hisham al-Sayed (35) - Has been held hostage since 2015
Yair Horn (45)
Idan Shivi (28)
Itzhk Elgarat (68)
Kaid Farhan Elkadi (53)
Karina Ariev (19)
Kfir Bibas (1)
Liri Albag (18)
Matan Angrest (21)
Matan Zangauker (24)
Maxim Herkin (35)
Muhammed Alatrash (40)
Naama Levy (19)
Nadav Popplewell (51)
Nimrod Cohen (19)
Noa Argamani (26)
Oded Lifshitz (83)
Ofer Kalderon (53)
Ohad Ben Ami (55)
Ohad Yahalomi (49)
Omer Neutra (22)
Omer Shem Tov (21)
Omer Wenkert (22)
Omri Miran (46)
Or Levy (33)
Ori Danino (24)
Rom Braslavski (19)
Romi Gonen (23)
Sagui Dekel-Chen (35)
Samuel Keith Siegel (64)
Segev Kalfon (25)
Shiri Bibas (32)
Shlomi Ziv (40)
Shlomo Mansour (85)
Tal Shoham (38)
Tamir Nimrod (19)
Tsachi Idan (51)
Yagev Buchshtab (34)
Yagev Kirsht (34)
Yarden Bibas (34)
Yoram Metzger (80)
Yosef Al-Zayadni (53)
Yosef Ohana (23)
Ziv Berman (26)
Hostages confirmed/reported dead:
(Note: I couldn't find a report with the full list, but if you google each individual name you can find sources.)
Alon Shamriz (26) – Mistakenly killed by the IDF
Amit Buskila (28) - Likely killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 17/05/24.
Arye Zalmanovich (85) - Death reported by Hamas. He was forced to appear in a propaganda video.
Asaf Hamami (41)
Aviv Atzili (49)
Daniel Oz (19) - Killed on Oct. 7. Status updated on 25/02/24
Daniel Perez (22) - Killed on Oct. 7. Status updated on 17/03/24
Dror Kaplun (68)
Dror Or (48) - Killed on Oct. 7. Status updated on 02/05/24.
Eden Zecharya (28)
Eitan Levy (53)
Elad Katzir (47) - Murdered by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. His body was recovered in Khan Yunis. Status updated on 06/04/24.
Eliyahu Margalit (75)
Elyakim Libman (23) - Killed on Oct. 7. It was presumed he was a hostage because his body wasn't found, but it was later discovered his remains were accidentally buried with another victim. Status updated on 03/05/24.
Gad Haggai (73)
Guy Iluz (26)
Hadar Goldin (32) - Body held hostage since 2014
Hanan Yablonka (42) - Killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 24/05/24.
Ilan Weiss (56)
Inbar Haiman (27)
Itay Chen (19) - Killed on Oct. 7. Status updated on 12/03/24.
Itay Svirsky (35) – Killed by Hamas in captivity. His body was shown in a propaganda video
Itzik Gelenter (58) - Likely killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 17/05/24.
Joshua Loitu Mollel (21) – A released video shows how he was brutally murdered by a group of men on October 7
Judy Weinstein (70)
Kiril Brodski (19)
Lior Rudaeff (61) - Killed on Oct. 7. His body was taken to Gaza. Status updated on 07/05/24.
Maya Goren (56)
Mordechai Yonathan Samerano (21) - Killed on Oct. 7. His body was taken to Gaza.
Nik Beizer (19)
Noa Marciano (19) – Her body was found near the Al-Shifa hospital
Michel Nisenbaum (59) - Killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 24/05/24.
Ofir Tzarfati (27)
Ofra Keider (70)
Oren Goldin (34)
Orión Hernandez (30) - Killed on Oct. 7. Body recovered on 24/05/24.
Oron Shaul (30) – Body held hostage since 2014
Ran Gvlli (24)
Ravid Katz (41)
Ron Benjamin (53) - Killed on Oct. 7 and his body was taken to Gaza. Body recovered on 18/05/24.
Ron Scherman (19)
Ronen Engel (54)
Sahar Baruch (24) – Killed by Hamas during a failed hostage rescue operation
Samer Talalka (22) – Mistakenly killed by the IDF
Shay Levinson (19)
Shani Louk (22) - Body taken to Gaza. Her body was recovered on 17/05/24.
Sonthaya Oakkharasr - Killed on Oct. 7. Body taken to Gaza. Status updated on 16/05/24.
Sudthisak Rinthalak - Killed on Oct. 7. Body taken to Gaza. Status updated on 16/05/24.
Tal Chaim (42)
Tamir Adar (38)
Tomer Ahimas (20)
Uriel Baruch (35) - Status updated on 26/03/24
Yair Yaakov (59) – Killed on Oct. 7. Sons and girlfriend were released. Status updated on 15/02/24.
Yehudit Weiss (65) – Her body was found near the Al-Shifa hospital
Yossi Sharabi (53) – His dead body was shown in a propaganda video
Yotam Haim – Mistakenly killed by the IDF
Ziv Dado (36)
Released/rescued hostages:
(1) (2)
Abigail Edan, 4, American citizen
Ada Sagi, 75
Adi Shoham, 38
Adina Moshe, 72
Agam Goldstein-Almog, 17
Aisha Ziyadne, 17
Alma Avraham, 84
Alma Or, 13
Amit Shani, 15
Amit Soussana, 40
Anucha Angkaew
Aviv Asher, 2, German citizen
Aviva Adrienne Siegel, 62
Bancha Kongmanee, Thai national
Bilal Ziyadne, 18
Boonthom Phankhong, Thai national
Buddee Saengboon, Thai national
Chalermchai Sangkaew
Channa Peri, 79
Chen Goldstein-Almog, 48
Clara Marman, 63, Argentine citizen
Daniel Aloni, 44
Dafna Elyakim, 15
Doron Katz Asher, 34, German citizen
Ditza Heiman, 84
Emilia Aloni, 5
Emily Toni Kornberg Hand, 8
Emma Cunio, 3, Argentine citizen
Erez Calderon, 12, French citizen
Eitan Yahalomi, 12, French citizen
Ela Elyakim, 8
Fernando Marman – Rescued by the IDF
Gabriela Leimberg, 59, Argentine citizen
Gal Goldstein-Almog, 11
Gal Tarshansky, 13
Gelienor (Jimmy) Pacheco, 37, Filipino national
Hagar Brodetz, 40
Hanna Katzir, 77
Hila Rotem Shoshani, 12
Ilana Gritzewsky Kimchi, 30
Irena Tati, 73, a Russian citizen, was included on the list but released separately from the exchange deal.
Itay Regev Jerbi, 18
Juckapan Sikena
Judith Raanan, 59 [Released 22/10/23]
Karina Engel-Bart, 51, Argentine citizen
Keren Munder, 54
Komkrit Chombua
Kong Saelao
Liam Or, 18
Liat Beinin Atzili, 49, American citizen
Luis Har – Rescued by the IDF
Manee Jirachart
Margalit Mozes, 78, German citizen
Maya Regev Jirbi, 21
Meirav Tal, 53
Mia Leimberg, 17, Argentine citizen
Mia Shem, 21, French citizen
Mika Engel, 18, Argentine citizen
Mongkhol Phajuabboon, Thai national
Moran Stela Yanai, 40
Natalie Raanan, 17 [Released 22/10/23]
Nattaporn Onkaew
Natthawaree Moonkan, Thai national
Naveh Shoham, 8
Nili Margalit, 41
Noam Avigdori, 12
Noga Weiss, 18
Noam Or, 17
Noralin Babadilla, 60, born in the Philippines
Nurit Cooper [Released 24/10/23]
Ofri Brodetz, 10
Ohad Munder, 9
Or Yaakov, 16, German citizen
Ori Megidish – Rescued by the IDF
Oriya Brodetz, 4
Owat Suriyasri, 40, father of two
Ofelia Adit Roitman, 77, born in Argentina
Ofir Engel, 17, Dutch citizen
Paiboon Rattanin
Pattanayut Tonsakree
Phonsawan Pinakalo
Ra’aya Rotem, 54
Raz Ben-Ami, 56, German citizen
Rimon Kirsht Buchshtav, 36
Raz Asher, 4, German citizen
Ron Krivoi, 25, an Israeli-Russian citizen, was included on the list, although he was released separately from the exchange deal.
Ruth Munder, 78
Sahar Calderon, 16, French citizen
Santi Boonphrom, Thai national
Sapir Cohen, 29
Shani Goren, 29
Sharon Aloni-Cunio, 34, Argentine citizen
Sharon Hertzman Avigdori, 52
Shiri Weiss, 53
Shoshan Haran, 67
Surin Kesungnoen
Tal Goldstein-Almog, 8
Tamar Metzger, 78
Uthai Sangnuan, Thai national
Uthai Thunsri, Thai national
Wichai Kalapat, 28, Thai national
Wichian Temthon
Withoon Phumee, 33, Thai national
Yaffa Adar, 85
Yagil Yaakov, 12, German citizen
Yahel Shoham, 3
Yarden Roman-Gat, 35, German citizen
Yelena Trupanov, 50, a Russian citizen, was included on the list but released separately from the exchange deal.
Yocheved Lifshitz [Released 24/10/23]
Yuli Cunio, 3, Argentine citizen
Yuval Brodetz, 8
Yuval Engel, 12, Argentine citizen
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