Poll East Jerusalem Arabs prefer to live in Israel then a Palestinian State

Hi,

Interesting poll that was done and it begs to ask the question - has anyone asked the Palestinians what they want? And why?

Poll: One-third of East Jerusalem Arabs would rather live in Israel than Palestine

In new survey, 40% of East Jerusalem residents say they are willing to relocate if their neighborhoods become part of a future Palestinian state.

By Natasha MozgovayaTags: Israel news East Jerusalem Middle East peace

Arab residents of East Jerusalem are divided on whether they would want Israeli or Palestinian citizenship should a future Palestinian state be created, suggests a new poll released on Wednesday in Washington.

The survey, conducted by Pechter Middle East Polls in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations, asked a simple question that the leaders both in Israel and the Palestinian authority seem to ignore all too often: What do the people themselves want? And the people seem confused.

When asked if they preferred to become a citizen of Palestine, with all of the rights and privileges of other citizens of Palestine, or a citizen of Israel, only 30 percent chose Palestinian citizenship – as compared to 35 percent that chose Israeli citizenship. Another 35 percent either had no answer or declined to provide it.

A follow up question asked respondents if “most people in your neighborhood” would prefer to become citizens of Palestine or of Israel: 31percent thought that most people prefer Palestinian citizenship; 39 percent - Israeli citizenship; and 30 percent, once again, declined to answer or said they didn’t know.

When asked if they would move to a different location inside Israel, if their neighborhood became part of Palestine, 40 percent said they were likely to move to Israel, and 37percent said they will not move. In comparison, 27percent said they are likely to move to Palestine if their neighborhood became part of Israel, and 54percent said they will not move.

When asked to provide the top reasons they chose one citizenship over the other, those who chose Israeli citizenship stressed freedom of movement in Israel, higher income, better job opportunities and Israeli health insurance.

Those who chose Palestinian citizenship referred to nationalism and patriotism. Both groups, in each possible scenario, expressed concern over the possibility of losing access to the Al Aqsa Mosque because it’s unclear where the permanent border will be.

Among other concerns about becoming Palestinian citizens that respondents cited were losing access to jobs and free movement in Israel, losing government provided health care, unemployment and disability benefits, and municipal services.

Those who chose to be Israeli citizens are concerned about discrimination, obstacles to receive building permits, problems with visiting relatives and friends in Palestine, and possible moral misconduct of the kids.

"I assume the Palestinian leadership wouldn’t be too happy about the results," Dr. David Pollock, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute, who supervised the survey and analyzed it, told Haaretz.

"But I think the results are very credible and solid. I was there supervising the survey in Jerusalem in November and I am very confident in the results," Pollock said, adding that he felt "the main reason so little attention was paid to the opinion of people living there is because people were nervous to find answers to these questions."

"The Palestinian leadership might have been nervous because they understood these Palestinians have special benefits and interests not to lose these benefits," Pollock added, saying that "from an Israeli point of view – people are more interested in the political significance of the city than perceptions of the Palestinians who live there."
"Neither side had obvious short term interests in finding out what was under the surface," he added.

"A Palestinian expert and colleague of mine suggested to me that he accepts the results and takes it as a signal that the Palestinian Authority must convince more Palestinians that they can provide employment opportunities and services as well as Israel can – it’s a practical kind of challenge," Pollock said.

"From the Israeli point of view it’s kind of a mixed message – on the one hand for the Israelis who’d like to keep these neighborhoods forever it’s probably a pleasant surprise that a high percentage of Palestinians are willing to accept that," the senior researcher said, adding, however, that, "on the other hand around half of the Palestinians in East Jerusalem perceive that they are subject to significant amount of discrimination."

The Israeli government "should decide if they are indeed willing to integrate 270 thousand Palestinians," Pollack added.

"There is a real discrepancy between what policy-makers here, in Israel and in the territories assume about the Palestinians of East Jerusalem and what they actually want. I think that everyone – Israelis, Palestinians, other Arabs – should pay attention to these results," Pollock said.

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Linda Feldman on January 26, 2011 at 5:23pm

Stewart,

I'm surprised you did not include fromer chancellor Helmut Schmidt in your list of Jews who served under the Nazis.(He had his own reasons for recommending Rigg's study)

I think, for many reasons, that it is disingenuous to compare the situation of Solomon Perel, who was a Volljude (a full Jew), to that of Mischlinge ("mixed race") of various degrees.

With only one Jewish great-grandfather, how Jewish do you think Emile Maurice was? Especially in the context of Jewish acculturation and assimilation in the 18th and 19th centuries?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stewart Mills on January 27, 2011 at 3:24am

Hi Clara, the examples I gave were to raise the possibility that some German Jews (whether they personally identified themselves as Jews or whether it was by State identification) for whatever reason (self-preservation, anti-Semitic etc) did support Hitler. Helmut Schmidt might fit into the same category as Emile Maurice, i.e Helmut's father who was adopted was the son of a German Jew. Thus both Helmut and Emile may not have had any personal connection with Judaism or Jewish identity despite having Jewish heritage.

People's political allegiances often defy common sense. New refugees can vote for right wing parties that act against refugee interests. Minority groups working for a state in the armed forces despite the State work against minorities. I was just trying to ensure we were open to the fact that human beings don't often operate as we think logically they should.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dan Smith on January 17, 2011 at 8:56am

"only 30 percent chose Palestinian citizenship – as compared to 35 percent that chose Israeli citizenship" - not majority just more...

My point here is simple, Arab dictators have a record of being cruel to theit people and depriving them of basic rights, being corrupt and limited job and education. In this poll you see that the Arabs of East Jerusalem don't trust such a leadership, they would rather live in Israel. Similarly to teh Arabs living in Israel now who would never agree to become citizens of an Arab stae and leave their Israeli citizenship behind. who would want to live in an Arab regime... even those sufering so hard under occupation choose Israel...

I think if you and many other people here truly cared about the Arabs living in the west bank and Gaza you would try to look at what is the best for them and not simply demonize Israel. The arabs can only pray to have a democracy as good as taht in Israel. Maybe you should start holding PA leader accountable here, demand elections, freedoms for all religions, genders and sexual orientations... otherwise you are just creating another country for more people to suffer - no one wants that....

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by TONY RANSOM on January 17, 2011 at 5:49pm

Both of you have failed to mention the uproar when Lieberman has suggested to transfer both land and people in Umm El Fahem to a Palestinian entity.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Basil Keilani on January 27, 2011 at 7:36am

Arab-Israelis don't want to be transferred to a Palestinian entity which is economically in terrible shape. It's understandable, and they don't want to feel they are dumped as non-Jews as if they are Israel's garbage. That's how Arab-Israelis feel.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ray Hanania on January 22, 2011 at 2:55pm

This poll may accurately reflect the views of Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, but it doesn't address the real problem that properties and homes of Palestinians living in East Jerusalem or who have been expelled and cannot return to East Jerusalem have been confiscated and turned in to Jewish-only settlements.
Ray Hanania
www.YallaPeace.com

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Dan Smith on January 22, 2011 at 6:11pm

I agree but that is also true for the areas in Hebron that still have the mezzuzah mark in the doors that Arabs took over..... Or all the Arab countries who expelled their Jewsih populations. What needs to be done is find a fair settlement that will allow us all to live in peace.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Basil Keilani on January 27, 2011 at 7:39am

Ray, it reflects the opinions of maybe 30%, but it's not a majority. And Palestinians are in a difficult position. A Palestinian state that would emerge will take a lot of building. You don't build up an occupied land, and a people who were abused for decades in one night. They are not economically going to be on par or close to on par with an Israel that subjugated them. I took occupied Ireland a long time to somewhat catch up to the England that occupied them. It didn't make the British superior as some in Israel might apply about themselves versus the Palestinians in order to say, we Israelis are advanced, and the Arabs are backwards. That's what it sounds like.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Freeman Poritz on January 30, 2011 at 2:37pm

Very interesting survey - This is anathema for the Palestinian nationalist camp. Possibly shows a split between Palestinians who don't mind living along side Israelis and those who don't want their children growing up contending with western style secularist adolescence which often includes sex, drug use, and alcohol which is definitely more prevalent in Israel than in Arab majority countries.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Basil Keilani on January 30, 2011 at 9:02pm

I have no problem with living with Jews, atheists, Christians or whatever. I just believe Palestinians need freedom. If the majority they are under is Jewish but will stop practices like unilaterally destroying an Arab-Israeli village or making it difficult to have a building permit as an Arab-Israel, then more Arabs would not mind Israel. And if Israel would stop building settlements and pushing Palestinians into small areas and find a way to help build a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as a capital for Palestinians officially with Jewish access to Jerusalem as it was before, then more Palestinians would want to shake hands with Israelis and live with them like relatives instead of someone they are war with.... Israel does have some positive qualities in its state as many Palestinians say, but we don't like how Israel treats us.