Keeping in mind that I take all political polls and polls on controversial issues with a shaker – not a grain, but a shaker – of salt, you might be interested in reading about this one, via Danielle Greyman-Kennard’s article for the Jerusalem Post, via msn.com:
A new opinion poll, carried out by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, was published on January 10. The poll, which collected data from 8,000 Arab respondents from 16 countries, aimed to determine how Arab populations perceived the Israel-Hamas war.
Amongst one of the many findings of the survey, it was noted that 67% of respondents perceived Hamas’s October 7 attack, categorized by the survey as “the military operation carried out by Hamas,” as “a legitimate resistance operation.” The survey results clarified that 19% answered that the attack was legitimate but “flawed,” 3% said it was legitimate but “involved heinous or criminal acts” and only 5% called the attack “illegitimate.”
When asked the why the attack took place, the most frequent answer (35% of the sample) claimed the number one reason was “The ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.”
Since Israel was not occupying even one square inch of Gaza, I think it is fair to assume that “occupied land” refers to the state of Israel itself.
So, if these data are correct, the Arab street strongly believes that hamas’ October 7 slaughter/rape/mutilation of 1,400 or so people in Israel and taking of about 240 hostages was “legitimate resistance”.
Resistance to what???, you might ask. The existence of a country where Arabs, who comprise about 20% of Israel’s population, have more rights and privileges than they do in virtually every Arab country in the world?
To quote the doubtable (not redoubtable, but doubtable) greta thunberg, “how DARE they”!!!
This is what Israel is up against, folks. This is what Israel deals with every day of its existence.
Not very pretty, is it?
