The poll, conducted among 1,287 adults in 127 randomly selected locations between September 14 and 16, found that 63% of PA residents agree that PA groups fighting Israel should emulate Hizbullah methods by launching rockets at Israeli cities; 35% disagree. Researchers noted that similar levels of support for emulating Hizbullah methods in the PA were obtained in July 2000, following Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon (65% support and 27% opposition).
There has been no overall change in majority support among PA Arabs for armed attacks against Israelis, according to the poll. 57% of those surveyed expressed support for such attacks. More dramatically, 75% support the abduction of Israeli soldiers as a tactic to force the release of imprisoned Arab terrorists (23% oppose it).
Conversely, 77% of the PA Arabs support the call for a ceasefire between PA militias and Israel, with 74% expressing the view that Arabs cannot depend on armed tactics alone to achieve their goals. Asked if a Hamas-led PA should negotiate with Israel, 59% of the respondents said yes, with 38% opposed.
Zionist Organization of America President Morton A. Klein noted that the poll was important in that it shows that "Hizbullah's unprovoked aggression against Israel in August and the inconclusive war that followed was a victory for Hizbullah, seeing that two-thirds of Palestinian Arabs approve of their acts and wish to emulate them. In revealing this, it further shows that Palestinians have not accepted Israel's existence as a Jewish state and wish to wage war on her by whatever means seem effective."
"It also shows," according to Klein, "that a policy of unilateral concessions does not win Israel peace or Palestinian moderation, as both the unilateral withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000 and the Hizbullah's eventual large scale assault on Israel in August this year resulted in large majorities supporting the actions of Hizbullah. In these circumstances, Israel must neither carry out any further unilateral concessions nor grant any other rewards or incentives to terrorists to continue their campaign."
Also polled in the context of the survey project were 500 Israeli Jews and 401 Israeli Arabs, between September 10 and 19. The Israelis were asked about their beliefs regarding issues of Arab-Israeli identification with Hizbullah. While 24% of Israeli Jews believe that Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah cares for the fate of the Arab citizens of Israel, 70% of Israel's Arab citizens believe so. At the same time, 77% of Israeli Jews and 68% of Israeli Arabs believe that the Arab citizens of Israel care for the fate of Hizbullah.
Regarding possible negotiations with a PA government that includes the Hamas terrorist organization, 67% of the Israelis polled expressed support for such talks, if needed to reach a compromise agreement. That drops to 56% support if such a government is comprised solely of Hamas representatives.
The survey was a joint project of the the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in Ramallah. The poll was planned and supervised by Dr. Yaacov Shamir of the Truman Institute and Dr. Khalil Shikaki, director of the PSR.
There has been no overall change in majority support among PA Arabs for armed attacks against Israelis, according to the poll. 57% of those surveyed expressed support for such attacks. More dramatically, 75% support the abduction of Israeli soldiers as a tactic to force the release of imprisoned Arab terrorists (23% oppose it).
Conversely, 77% of the PA Arabs support the call for a ceasefire between PA militias and Israel, with 74% expressing the view that Arabs cannot depend on armed tactics alone to achieve their goals. Asked if a Hamas-led PA should negotiate with Israel, 59% of the respondents said yes, with 38% opposed.
Zionist Organization of America President Morton A. Klein noted that the poll was important in that it shows that "Hizbullah's unprovoked aggression against Israel in August and the inconclusive war that followed was a victory for Hizbullah, seeing that two-thirds of Palestinian Arabs approve of their acts and wish to emulate them. In revealing this, it further shows that Palestinians have not accepted Israel's existence as a Jewish state and wish to wage war on her by whatever means seem effective."
"It also shows," according to Klein, "that a policy of unilateral concessions does not win Israel peace or Palestinian moderation, as both the unilateral withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000 and the Hizbullah's eventual large scale assault on Israel in August this year resulted in large majorities supporting the actions of Hizbullah. In these circumstances, Israel must neither carry out any further unilateral concessions nor grant any other rewards or incentives to terrorists to continue their campaign."
Also polled in the context of the survey project were 500 Israeli Jews and 401 Israeli Arabs, between September 10 and 19. The Israelis were asked about their beliefs regarding issues of Arab-Israeli identification with Hizbullah. While 24% of Israeli Jews believe that Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah cares for the fate of the Arab citizens of Israel, 70% of Israel's Arab citizens believe so. At the same time, 77% of Israeli Jews and 68% of Israeli Arabs believe that the Arab citizens of Israel care for the fate of Hizbullah.
Regarding possible negotiations with a PA government that includes the Hamas terrorist organization, 67% of the Israelis polled expressed support for such talks, if needed to reach a compromise agreement. That drops to 56% support if such a government is comprised solely of Hamas representatives.
The survey was a joint project of the the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in Ramallah. The poll was planned and supervised by Dr. Yaacov Shamir of the Truman Institute and Dr. Khalil Shikaki, director of the PSR.