Including Al Beeb, which when all is said and done should be telling us!
In a recent survey conducted by Pechter Middle East Polls, Dr David Pollock, a former senior adviser on the Middle East at the US State Department, has made a groundbreaking investigation of Arab public opinion in east Jerusalem.
Less than a third of those polled - 31 per cent - would prefer to live in a Palestinian state.
A further 23 per cent were undecided.
About 40 per cent of respondents would try to move to Israel if their neighbourhoods came under Palestinian rule, giving as reasons for their choice such benefits as freedom of movement, more job opportunities, higher income, and the availability of health insurance.
A majority of respondents claimed that a unilateral Palestinian declaration of independence would prove either detrimental to their status or irrelevant, with many fearing that under Palestinian rule they would lack the right to free speech and freedom of expression.
Presenting his findings to a roundtable meeting of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) in Jerusalem, Dr Pollock noted that “any attempt to transfer control over Palestinian neighborhoods would be contrary to the wishes of the majority of Jerusalem's Palestinian population. Many Jerusalem Arabs believe that Israel has 'won the war of attitudes' and prefer the status quo.”
Arab Christians, who comprise only 7 percent of Jerusalem's population, were found to be particularly fearful of a future under Palestinian statehood.
Remarked the WJC Institute 's chairman, retired diplomat Mordechai Palzur:
“Dr. Pollock’s groundbreaking research highlights the complexity of the situation in Jerusalem, which is not always understood, and makes clear that any division of the city is impossible.”
Source: http://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/10232/special_report_jerusalem_arabs_withhold_support_over_unilateral_palestinian_state_new_survey_finds_?print=true
Fascinating indeed and not totally a shock when you think about it.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to hear an expert on surveys critique Pollock's methodology.
To be rigorous.
I am not a Republican (and never voted for Reagan) but some of his words were quite wise: "Trust. But verify."