New Poll Reveals Arab Public Opinion on Israeli War on Gaza
The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies released the results of a recent public opinion poll on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, regarding the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza. The survey, conducted on a sample of 8000 men and women from 16 Arab countries, aimed to determine the opinions of citizens in the region on important topics related to the conflict.
The survey results show that the Arab public sees the war as a local event, with 97% of respondents expressing some level of psychological stress as a result of the ongoing violence. Of those, 84% reported experiencing great psychological stress.
The majority of respondents, 80%, said they regularly follow news about the war, with 54% relying on television and 43% using the internet as their primary source of information.
The poll also addressed the motivations behind Hamas’ military operation on October 7, 2023. Only 8% of respondents attributed the operation to the ongoing blockade of Gaza, while 35% saw it as a response to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and 24% believed it was in defense of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
When asked about their views on Hamas’ military operation, 67% of respondents considered it a legitimate resistance operation, with 19% saying it was somewhat flawed but still legitimate. Only 5% saw it as an illegitimate operation.
The survey results also revealed a strong sense of solidarity with the Palestinian people, with 92% of respondents expressing support for them and their resistance against Israeli aggression. While 69% of respondents expressed solidarity with Palestinians and support for Hamas, 23% showed solidarity despite not supporting Hamas, and only 1% expressed a lack of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
The majority of respondents, 89%, rejected the idea of recognizing Israel, with only 4% in favor of recognition. This sentiment was strongest in Saudi Arabia, where the percentage of those opposed to recognition increased from 38% in a previous poll to 68%.
When asked about the responses of regional and international powers to the war on Gaza, 94% of respondents viewed the United States’ position negatively, with 82% considering it very bad. Similar negative views were expressed towards France, the UK, and Germany, with opinions split on the positions of Iran, Turkey, Russia, and China.
The survey also showed a significant shift in the opinions of Arab citizens towards the Palestinian cause. A consensus of 92% now believe it is an Arab issue, rather than just a Palestinian one, compared to 76% in a previous poll conducted in 2022.
The poll was conducted from December 12, 2023 to January 5, 2024 in 16 Arab countries, representing 95% of the region’s population. The sample size in each country was 500 men and women, selected through cluster and self-weighted sampling methods to ensure equal representation of all individuals.
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