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Misrepresenting reality: Sari Nusseibeh, President of Al-Quds University and Israeli former security official Ami Ayalon, co-leaders of "The People's Voice"
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11/20
Palestinian Center for Public Opinion |
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11/19
The Jerusalem Post |
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| By israelinsider staff November 20, 2004 |
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Despite claims by left-wing groups such as "The People's Voice" that most Palestinians support a permanent settlement with Israel, a poll conducted by The Palestinian Center for Public Opinion indicates that, by an overwhelming 79-13% margin, Palestinians are unwilling to give up the "right of return" for a peace settlement, even if they are compensated and allowed to return to a Palestinian state. They insist on returning to what is today Israel.
A prominent article by Palestinian academic Sari Nusseibeh, President of Al-Quds University and Israeli former security official Ami Ayalon, co-leaders of "The People's Voice" petition drive, seriously misrepresent Palestinian public opinion. They claims that "in Palestinian eyes, stating the principle that "Palestinian refugees will return only to the State of Palestine" is almost breaking their most important national narrative. For a people raised for generations on the dream of returning to Jaffa, Haifa, Acre, and dozens of ancestral villages, giving up that vision is much deeper than the stroke of a pen. Yet the majority of Israelis and Palestinians realize that the alternatives to such tough compromises are much worse."
Nusseibeh and Ayalon claim that a majority of Palestinians are willing to start "giving up that vision." That, however, is not what the Palestinians themselves say. Here are the responses to a pair of PCPO questions:
Question: "Do you think that the Palestinians are obliged to waive their claims to the right of Home-return, which Israel will never agree to, as the price of establishing an independent state for them and the conclusion of a peace agreement with Israel?
1. The Palestinians have to accept that 15.0%
2. The Palestinians shouldn't accept that, even if consequently no peace agreement would be concluded with Israel.72.2%
3. No opinion.12.8%
Question: In case the Palestinian leadership would accept the waiver of the right of Home-return and replace that with financial compensation. Would you accept or refuse that?
1. would accept that 13.0%
2. would refuse that 78.6%
3. no opinion 8.4%"
The Palestinian Center for Public Opinion ( PCPO) Poll no.125 carried out during the period November 4 - 8, 2004 (before the death of president Yasser Arafat), included a random sample of (632) respondents from the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip.
Independent Media Review and Analysis (www.imra.org.il) contributed to this piece.
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