JERUSALEM (AFP) - Nearly half of the Israeli public believes the government should recognise a Palestinian state as long as Israel can keep the major settlement blocs, a survey published on Friday showed. According to a pol, 48pc of respondents were in favour of Israel backing a Palestinian state - on condition they could keep the five main settlement blocs in the West Bank. But another 41pc expressed the exact opposite view - that in light of a Palestinian plan to seek UN recognition for their state this autumn, Israel should "vehemently oppose" the move, even if it meant a head-on confrontation with the UN. More than half the respondents - 53 percent - said they believed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should present a diplomatic initiative to end the conflict, including "significant concessions" when he addresses the US Congress next month. But another 42 percent opposed the idea of a plan including significant concessions, the figures showed.