Zionist Organization of America Press release, July 10, 2006.
A new poll has found that an overwhelming majority of Palestinians — 77.2
percent — support the kidnapping by terrorists on June 25 of an Israeli soldier,
Corporal Gilad Shalit, and 60.4 percent support the ongoing barrage of rocket
attacks upon Israel from northern Gaza.
Further, the poll shows that 66.8 percent of Palestinians approve of the
idea of further kidnappings of Israeli soldiers and 68.8 percent of Palestinians
oppose the release of Corporal Shalit unless Israel frees large numbers of
Palestinian terrorists with blood on their hands, as demanded by the
Hamas/Palestinian Authority (PA).
The poll of 1197 Palestinians was conducted on June 21-22 by the Jerusalem
Media and Communications Center (Independent Media Review and Analysis
(IMRA), July 9).
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “This latest poll simply confirms
the fact that Palestinians support the belligerence of the PA (Palestinian
Authority) and the various terrorist groups it permits to operate from PA
territory.
It is also wholly consistent with the finding of another poll conducted in
mid-June that found that 56 percent of Palestinians support terrorist attacks
against Israeli civilians inside Israel. That poll also showed that a majority of
Palestinians also support the Abbas ‘Prisoners’ Document’ that sanctions
terrorism against Israeli civilians and does not call for recognizing Israel and also
the so-called ‘right of return’, whereby Palestinian refugees of the 1948-49 war
and their descendants would inundate Israel and destroy it from within.
Taken together, it is clear that Palestinians support the Hamas/PA policy of
sustained terrorism and refusal to accept Israel’s existence as Jewish state. In
other words, these polls make it clear that it is not merely Hamas or the PA
leadership that is the problem, but the Palestinians themselves, who strongly
and consistently support violence and the murder of Jews.
Clearly, unilateral Israeli concessions and other rewards to the PA, like
last year’s Gaza/northern Samaria withdrawal, do not moderate Palestinians or
induce Palestinians to even start fulfilling their obligations.
There should be no US or Israeli concessions or rewards to the PA.”
