Majority of Israelis say country is now less safe: poll

A new poll suggests that a majority of Israelis now feel the country is not secure.

Sixty-one percent of respondents to the poll, published by Israeli news site Ynet News on Friday, said they felt the level of security in the country had deteriorated.

A larger majority, 71 percent, said they felt the government had not dealt sufficiently with a new wave of violence between Israelis and Palestinians that began in October.

Over 130 Palestinians and 20 Israelis, as well as one US citizen and an Eritrean national, have been killed in stabbing attacks, shot by security forces or have died during clashes.

According to the survey responses, a drop in support for the Likud party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu means that, if elections were held now, the party would lose five of its 30 seats in parliament.

Authorities have sought to stem the tide of violence, shutting down whole neighbourhoods and deploying larger numbers of police.

However, stabbing attacks have continued to dog cities like Jerusalem and, less frequently, Tel Aviv.