Shocka: Israel's Gaza 'blockade' is changing opinions
A survey of 'Palestinians' in Gaza, the 'West Bank,' Jordan and Egypt shows that Israel's Gaza 'blockade' is making 'Palestinians' want to get rid of Hamas. Hamas is extremely unpopular in Gaza (with 58% disapproval, including 42% strong disapproval) - even more so than in the 'West Bank' where 57% disapprove of Hamas, but only 16% disapprove strongly.Further, if elections were held today, Fatah would win despite that organization's continued corruption (several Fatah members have stated that the cheating that went on at last month's Fatah convention votes makes Iran look fair and honest).
Additionally, many 'Palestinians' (including a majority in the 'West Bank' and Jordan) now regret that Yasser Arafat turned down Ehud Barak's offer at Camp David in 2000. Of course, they would love to have that offer back now, but with Netanyahu in power, I doubt that they are going to be offered anything close to that anytime soon.
The poll, conducted by Stan Greenberg of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, included face-to-face interviews with hundreds of adults in Egypt, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza, along with a series of focus groups in Cairo and Ramallah.
While the numbers indicate ongoing, deep hostility toward Israel in the Arab world, the poll also shows signs that powerful players in the region, such as Hamas, are in deep trouble at home, and that the people living under their direct rule are becomingly increasingly vocal in their criticism.
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"I've polled in a number of war zones in the 20th century, including Nicaragua and El Salvador during the conflicts there [in the 1980s], and I polled in Afghanistan under the Taliban, before 9/11," Greenberg said. "And I thought that in Gaza, after [Hamas's 2006] takeover, people would be cautious about responding to the poll. But just look at the results. Nearly 60% of the people there have a negative image of Hamas, and felt free to say it, which says to me that it's even worse than that."
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When asked who was responsible for the current crisis in Gaza, Israel was overwhelmingly blamed by all the groups polled. But while 5% of Egyptians and Jordanians blamed Hamas for the current crisis, 35% of Palestinians in the West Bank said Hamas was to blame, while 16% of Gazans agreed.
Additionally, of all the places polled, Gazans made up the highest percentage - 38% - of those who said they believed that both Israel and Hamas, together, were responsible for the current Gaza crisis.
Nonetheless, Gazans and Jordanians both showed a surprisingly high level of support for direct negotiations with Israel. More than half of those two groups - 52% of those polled - said they believed Palestinians should negotiate directly with Israel, accept its right to exist and honor past agreements. Thirty-nine percent of Egyptians said the same, compared to 36% of Palestinians in the West Bank.
Also surprising, Greenberg said, was that while 35% of the other groups polled stressed the importance of releasing captive IDF soldier Gilad Schalit, an overwhelming two-thirds of Gazans said the same.
Heh.
Israel Matzav: Shocka: Israel's Gaza 'blockade' is changing opinions
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