THE OPINION POLLS ARE IN GAZA PUBLIC REJECTS HAMAS … WANTS CEASEFIRE
By David Pollock The Washington Institute July 15 2014
A recent credible poll shows that most Gazans oppose Hamas policies and leaders alike and favor a ceasefire with Israel.
Todays headlines are that Hamas has just rejected Egypts offer of a ceasefire with Israel and instead continues to fire rockets indiscriminately at Israeli towns and cities. Less known is a crucial fact: the people of Gaza are solidly against these Hamas policies:
INDEED BY A VERY LARGE MAJORITY THEY OPPOSE HAMAS RULE ALTOGETHER.
These findings are based on a June 15-17 survey by a highly respected Palestinian pollster who conducted face-to-face interviews throughout Gaza using standard random geographical probability sampling. The poll included 450 Gazans yielding a margin of error of approximately 4 percent.
YES BUT YOU KNOW HOW MEAN & IMPERIALISTIC THOSE ISRAELIS ARE -- THIS POLL OBVIOUSLY ISNT CREDIBLE
This is the only credible Palestinian poll taken since the mid-June West Bank kidnapping incident Israels subsequent searches and arrests and the start of the current crisis
As tensions mounted and Hamas and other Gazan factions began to step up rocket fire last month the people of that territory were still heavily in favor of a CEASEFIRE 70 percent of the poll respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement Hamas should maintain a ceasefire with Israel in both Gaza and the West Bank."
A CEASEFIRE ... A CEASEFIRE ... IN THE LIGHT OF WHAT MEANIES THE ISRAELI TROOPS ARE ... THATS A RIDICULOUS DISTORTION OF THE ATTITUDE OF THE JUSTLY FURIOUS GAZA RESIDENTS
This attitude is corroborated by the 73 percent of Gazans who said Palestinians should adopt proposals for NON-VIOLENT popular resistance against the occupation."
Similarly when asked if Hamas should accept Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbass position that the new unity government renounce violence against Israel a clear majority (57 percent) answered in the affirmative.
THE RESPONSES TO ALL THREE QUESTIONS CLEARLY INDICATE THAT MOST GAZANS REJECT MILITARY ESCALATION.
Attitudes may have shifted since the poll due to anger at Israeli airstrikes but anecdotal evidence suggests that the Gazan public still supports a ceasefire.
BUT HOW COULD THAT BE WHEN THE GENEROUS HAMAS GOVERNMENT PROVIDES EACH FAMILY WITH FREE INTERNET ALONG WITH THEIR DAILY RATION OF ONE POUCH OF FREEZE-DRIED POTATOES
The poll also demonstrates that GAZANS ARE UNHAPPY WITH HAMAS GOVERNANCE ON MULTIPLE LEVELS:
A large majority (71 percent) considered crime to be a significant" problem.
Also very striking and contrary to common misperception: Hamas did not gain politically from the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers that sparked the current crisis last month…
Asked who should be the president of Palestine in the next two years a solid majority in Gaza named either Abbas or other leaders affiliated with the Fatah Party.
In stark contrast Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashal rated a combined total of JUST FIFTEEN PER-CENT SUPPORT.
MOST SURPRISING IS THE FINDING THAT MAJORITY OF GAZANS WANT ISRAELI JOBS
And even more surprising the results of the June poll go even further than the preceding political indicators showing that Gazans would be willing to look to Israel for their livelihood.
RESPONDENTS OVERWHELMINGLY (82 PERCENT) SAID THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE ISRAEL ALLOW MORE PALESTINIANS TO WORK IN ISRAEL."
Still more poignantly A MAJORITY (56 PERCENT) SAID THEY WOULD BE PERSONALLY WILLING TO WORK IN ISRAEL IF THERE WAS A GOOD HIGH-PAYING JOB."
Thus Gazans actually favored some form of normalization with Israel in order to find work.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS?
The June survey demonstrates the sharp contrast between what most Gazans want and what their Hamas government continually does.
The poll results show that the people of that hard-pressed territory want a ceasefire and even economic opportunity in Israel and that they overwhelmingly reject Hamas policies and leaders alike.
BUT JOHN KERRY IS IN TEL AVIV RIGHT NOW URGING (THREATENING) THE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER TO BACK OFF & RECOGNIZE THE LEGITIMACY OF THE HAMAS REGIMES KLEPTOCRACY
THESE FUNDAMENTAL FACTS SHOULD HELP GUIDE THE U.S. GOVERNMENT (AND ITS REGIONAL ALLIES) AS THEY SEARCH NOT JUST FOR A CEASEFIRE BUT ALSO FOR LONGER-TERM ECONOMIC & POLITICAL PRESCRIPTIONS FOR GAZAS FATE.
David Pollock is the Kaufman Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of Fikra Forum
MY OWN THOUGHT ON THIS OPINION POLL
What a jolting rejection of the current peace-making" efforts of Barak Obama & John Kerry!
