By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
Jun 25, 2004
According to the latest Palestinian Arab opinion poll, Israel’s “peace” partners would like to see their terrorist brethren continue killing Jews, even if the Sharon government implements a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
While Israeli officials claim the “Palestinians” are spent after four years of continuous warfare and ready for any alternative, the poll’s results showed the Arabs view Israel’s planned Gaza pullout as a victory for terrorism. As such, they reject a return to negotiations with the Jewish state.
The consequence of the Palestinian Authority’s long refusal to educate its people for peace was also made evident, with 88 percent of respondents saying they did not believe Israel genuinely desired an end to the conflict.
By contrast, most Israeli Jews believe the vast majority of Palestinian Arabs seek peaceful coexistence. The poll revealed that sentiment to be in error.
Backing the winning horse
Israel is withdrawing from the Gaza Strip because terrorist violence has driven it out and the Jews fear more casualties, said 75 percent of the 1,197 “Palestinians” polled from June 4-6.
Smelling victory in their campaign of terror, 61 percent said the murder of Jews should continue, even if Prime Minister Ariel Sharon implements a full retreat from Gaza.
Fifty-three percent said that at this time, they oppose restarting any kind of peace negotiations with Israel.
The results appeared to contradict Israeli assessments that the “Palestinians” are emotionally and physically spent after nearly four years of constant warfare, and are willing to accept any alternative.
Uneducated for peace
The poll also demonstrated the effect of the Palestinian Authority’s long refusal to educate its people for peace with Israel’s Jews.
A full 88 percent of those questioned said they do not believe Israel has a genuine desire for peace with the “Palestinians.”
By contrast, most Israelis – who have been subjected to more than a decade of peace education – believe the vast majority of Palestinians Arabs seek peaceful coexistence.
The “Palestinian” poll would seem to suggest otherwise.
Unreasonable demands
Eighty-four percent of respondents indicated they would agree to some kind of halt to the violence if Israel recognized the “Palestinian” right to flood the Jewish state with millions of Arab “refugees.”
But even then, 54 percent said true peace would remain out of reach.
More than half of those polled demanded the virulently anti-Israel Arab League oversee the “peace” process, in place of its current American and European sponsors.