President Barack Obama. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Half of the Israeli Jewish public concurs that Israel should follow current government policy even at the price of a confrontation with the U.S. administration, a new poll published Tuesday revealed.

Additionally, according to the Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University December 2012 Peace Index poll, two-thirds (67 percent) of Jewish Israelis agree that, no matter which parties prevail, the peace process with the Palestinians will remain at a standstill for reasons not connected to Israel.

In the poll, Israeli Jews continued to define themselves as right-wing (55 percent) more than centrist (21 percent) or left-wing (17 percent). In addition, 50 percent reported their intention to vote for the secular and religious right-wing parties and 30 percent for parties of the Center and Left, while 20 percent remain undecided or would not answer.

The public was also polled on their attitudes toward some of the politicians leading parties in the Knesset elections. With regard to their ability to handle political-security issues, Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) was judged suitable by 53 percent of Israeli Jews, Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beytenu) by 28 percent, Naftali Bennett (Habayit Hayehudi) by 25 percent, Shaul Mofaz (Kadima) by 22 percent, Tzipi Livni (Hatnuah) by 19 percent, Shelly Yachimovich (Labor) by 14 percent, and Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) by 8 percent.

When asked about their ability to handle socioeconomic issues, Yachimovich was deemed suitable by 45 percent of Israeli Jews, Netanyahu by 36 percent, Lapid by 25 percent, Naftali Bennett by 20 percent, Livni by 19 percent, Lieberman by 17 percent, and Mofaz by 12 percent.