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Poll: Palestinians 'back negotiations with Israel' 8/30/2010 - BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Two-thirds of Palestinians are in favor of either direct or indirect negotiations with Israel, the results of a new poll released Monday finds. The Palestinian Center for Public Opinion surveyed over 1,000 Palestinians from the West Bank, occupied East Jerusalem and Gaza earlier this month, ahead of the resumption of direct.... U.S. support for Israel is decreasing, new poll shows Palestine Monitor - American support for Israel is waning, a poll presented to senior Israeli officials in Jerusalem last week revealed. The survey was carried out by pollster and strategist Stanley Greenberg and sponsored by the American Jewish organization the Israel Project, which organizes and executes pro-Israel public relations... MidEast peace in our time | Poll The Guardian 21 Aug 2010 - The US-led resumption of Middle East peace talks between Israel and Palestinians promises a 'final status' agreement in a year. Is a two-state solution deliverable by September 2011? U.S. support for Israel is decreasing, new poll shows Palestine Monitor - American support for Israel is waning, a poll presented to senior Israeli officials in Jerusalem last week revealed. The survey was carried out by pollster and strategist Stanley Greenberg and sponsored by the American Jewish organization the Israel Project, which organizes and executes pro-Israel public relations... U.S. support for Israel is decreasing, new poll shows Palestine Monitor: 21 Aug 2010 - American support for Israel is waning, a poll presented to senior Israeli officials in Jerusalem last week revealed. The survey was carried out by pollster and strategist Stanley Greenberg and sponsored by the American Jewish organization the Israel Project, which organizes and executes pro-Israel public relations campaigns with a focus on North America. Greenberg, along with Israel Project heads, presented the poll's findings to senior Israeli officials, including President Shimon Peres, Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor, as well as officials from the Prime Minister's office. One of the questions that the poll presented was "Does the U.S. need to support Israel?" In August of 2009, 63% of Americans polled said that the U.S. does need to support Israel. In June of this year, 58% of respondents shared the same view; by July only 51% of respondents said the U.S. needed to support Israel. Another question posed by the pole was "...more Survey: 'The whole world is against us' Jeruslalem Post 20 Aug 2010 - Large majority of Americans, however, still view Israel as ally. U.S. support for Israel is decreasing, new poll shows Ha'aretz - Survey conducted by U.S.-Jewish group the Israel Project asked Americans and Europeans about their views on Israel. Poll: US support for Israel declining Palestine Note 18 Aug 2010 - Only 51% say US must back Israel Washington - Support for Israel is declining sharply among Americans, particularly Liberals aligned with the Democratic party, a new poll shows. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz obtained some of the... U.S. support for Israel is decreasing, new poll shows Ha'aretz 18 Aug 2010 - Survey conducted by U.S.-Jewish group the Israel Project asked Americans and Europeans about their views on Israel. Syrians dissatisfied, survey shows LA Times 19 Aug 2010 - A survey conducted in secret because of a ban finds most of more than 1,000 respondents are unhappy with political and economic conditions and want emergency rule to end. A survey of Syrians, conducted in secret because of government prohibitions, shows strong dissatisfaction with prevailing political and economic conditions. Though that may not be a surprise, the fact that any kind of opinion poll could be conducted in Syria, was certainly an eye-opener, the study's authors say. Poll: Israel continues to lose support in the US, especially among liberals Mondoweiss - Haaretz is reporting on a new poll conducted by the Israel Project . Among the findings: One of the questions that the poll presented was "Does the U.S. need to support Israel?" In August of 2009, 63% of Americans polled said that the U.S. does need to... Poll: Israelis oppose military exemption of religious students Palestine Note 17 Aug 2010 - Washington – A two-thirds majority of Israelis oppose the recent Knesset decision to exempt rabbinical yeshiva students 22 and older from universal military service, according to a new poll, Ynet reported Tuesday. The poll, conducted by... Israeli troops kidnap 700 children every year PIC 7 Aug 2010 - Journalist Amira Hass said the Israeli troops kidnap every year about 700 Palestinian children, many of them are rounded up from schools, at the pretext of throwing stones at troops and settlers. Poll: Arabs have lost faith in Obama Palestine Note 5 Aug 2010 - Washington – According to a new poll released by the Brookings Institution, there has been a drastic fall in Arab opinion of US President Barack Obama. The poll, to be released in its entirety later Thursday,... Poll: 85% agree to two-state solution Jeruslalem Post 5 Aug 2010 - Majority of Arab world accepts peace with Israel on '67 lines. Wadi Qana farmland being polluted by settlement sewage Uruknet August 1, 2010 - Wadi Qana is a valley south west of Nablus where numerous springs supply water to the surrounding Palestinian villages. Approximately 60 people live in the valley itself, and many more own land in the area in which they farm animals and cultivate both citrus and olive trees. The valley and its springs have been suffering... Wadi Qana farmland being polluted by settlement sewage Uruknet August 1, 2010 - Wadi Qana is a valley south west of Nablus where numerous springs supply water to the surrounding Palestinian villages. Approximately 60 people live in the valley itself, and many more own land in the area in which they farm animals and cultivate both citrus and olive trees. The valley and its springs have been suffering... Israel bombs central Gaza City: seventeen injured 7/31/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Gaza City, Gaza Strip - At around 11:30pm last night (Friday 30 July 2010), "˜The Arafat Compound' Police College in central Gaza City was bombed by Israeli F-16s, in the area of "˜Al Montada' injuring seventeen people, three of them seriously. Three children were also among the injured. Those first at the scene described.... Alarming Government Corruption Rates in Egypt Exposed in Recent Survey The Media Line 28 Jul 2010 - 47% of small and medium businesses in Egypt are forced to pay government bribes according to a recent Egyptian report. A nation-wide survey conducted in mid-2009 by the Cairo-based Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies... Pollution prevents Jordan River baptisms Jeruslalem Post 25 Jul 2010 - Officials consider erecting signs at Qasar al-Yahud saying: Polluted Waters. Entry Forbidden. River Jordan baptism site too polluted for patrons, environmentalists Palestine Note 21 Jul 2010 - Washington - Environmentalists are urging the Israeli government to close a baptism site along the lower River Jordan "until water quality standards for tourists and pilgrims bathing at the holy site were met," German news agency... Poll: Most Americans would back Israel attack on Iran Ha'aretz - 56 percent of Americans support an Israeli strike to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons, according to a poll conducted by a U.S. research firm. Survey reveals British Jews can be a critical friend to Israel | Antony Lerman The Guardian 16 Jul 2010 - There is no appetite among Jews living in the UK for giving Israel carte blanche to do what it likes, according to a new report Israel risks losing its friends, Jonathan Freedland warned last week , referring,... JPost Poll: 46% Israelis say Obama pro-Palestinian Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 - Washington - A poll conducted by Smith Research has revealed that nearly half - 46% - of Israelis feel US President Barack Obama is more pro-Palestinian than pro-Israel, the Jerusalem Post reported Friday. President Obama [Jmtimages... We will continue to shield Israel, militarily and diplomatically, U.S. official says Ha'aretz 16 Jul 2010 - Speaking during a reception for outgoing Israeli UN envoy Shalev, U.S. envoy Susan Rice says that Washington remains fully and firmly committed to Israel's security. Poll: Most Americans back Israeli military action against Iran Ha'aretz - 56 percent of Americans support an Israeli strike to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons, according to a poll conducted by a U.S. research firm. Poll: Most Americans back Israeli military action against Iran Ha'aretz 15 Jul 2010 - 56 percent of Americans support an Israeli strike to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons, according to a poll conducted by a U.S. research firm. JTA features five-month-old poll to remind us how much Americans used to support Israel Mondoweiss - The lead headline on JTA.org was a bit surprising today - " Support for Israel near record high, Gallup Poll shows ." Not impossible I guess, but kinda surprising. The article reads: Support for Israel among Americans is at a near record high, a new poll... Poll: 52.5 % Believe Indirect Israeli-Palestinian Talks Will Fail PNN - Bethlehem – PNN - The most recent poll by Dr. Nabil Kukali, revealed that 69.3% of Palestinians support the intention of the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to pay a visit to Gaza... Pollard activists hold vigil to mark 9,000 days Jeruslalem Post 13 Jul 2010 - Justice for Jonathan Pollard organization began a three day vigil in Jerusalem. Jerusalem honors convicted spy Pollard on 9,000th day of incarceration Ha'aretz - A message urging Obama to free Pollard will be projected onto Jerusalem city walls; Dozens of protesters call for Pollard's immediate release. Recent Survey of Palestinians Reveals Opinions, Hopes, Frustrations IMEMC - 8 Jul 2010 - A recent survey conducted in Gaza and the West Bank demonstrated that a slim majority supports direct talks with Israel and that most Palestinians want Marwan Barghouti to succeed current president Mahmoud Abbas. Poll: Palestinians want to renew Gaza ceasefire Palestine Note 7 Jul 2010 - Washington – In a recent poll , a majority of Palestinians support renewing Hamas’ ceasefire with Israel, and Fatah outshines Hamas in public approval. Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad received a 62% approval rating among Palestinians... Poll: Most Palestinians want ceasefire Jeruslalem Post 7 Jul 2010 - Two-thirds think Hamas should not use missiles; half would vote for Fayyad. Poll: 2/3 of Palestinians against rocket attacks YNet News - Survey conducted in West Bank and Gaza finds most Palestinian want Barghouti as.... Poll: For Palestinians, economy trumps politics 7/6/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinians are overwhelmingly concerned by the economic situation in the West Bank and Gaza, an opinion poll from the Arab World for Research and Development found. With numbers near even over local and national political matters, a large majority of Palestinians- 75 percent across the West Bank (67 percent) and Gaza (87 percent.... Poll: Majority Israeli Jews fed up with ultra-Orthodox parties Palestine Note 2 Jul 2010 - Washington – A majority of both Orthodox and secular Jewish Israelis are fed up with the ultra-Orthodox (haredi) parties, the Jerusalem Post reported Friday, citing a recent poll. Tensions have sparked recently in Israel over what... Poll:Likud, Israel Beiteinu voters want haredim out of gov’t Jeruslalem Post 1 Jul 2010 - Joint poll shows doubts abound over Palestinian state Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 - Palestinians demonstrated a surge of support for Turkey,not Syria,Iran. Netanyahu: Pollard was an Israeli spy, Oren must clarify remarks Ha'aretz - In radio interview, Michael Oren apparently contradicts Netanyahu's admission that Israel stole U.S. secrets as part of officially sanctioned operation. Israel Backtracking on Support for Convicted Spy Jonathan Pollard? The Media Line 21 Jun 2010 - Israel's Ambassador to the US Michael Oren appears to have signaled a change in Israel's policy toward Jonathan Pollard, the US naval analyst convicted of spying for Israel. According to a reported interview with a Washington... Netanyahu: Pollard acted as Israel agent Jeruslalem Post 22 Jun 2010 - Michael Oren suggests perspective be applied to agent's case. Netanyahu: Pollard was an Israeli spy, Oren must clarify remarks Ha'aretz 22 Jun 2010 - In radio interview, Michael Oren apparently contradicts Netanyahu's admission that Israel stole U.S. secrets as part of officially sanctioned operation. Poll: Palestinians divided on 2-state solution Palestine Note 21 Jun 2010 - Washington - A poll by Norwegian democracy development group Fafo has found that Palestinians are divided on the future of Palestinian statehood, Ma'an News Agency reported Sunday. A Fafo poll found Palestinians are "generally more confident"... Poll: Palestinians want elections 6/20/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - An opinion poll carried out by Fafo between February and May reveals Palestinian electoral preferences are changing, the Norwegian-backed research center found. On domestic issues, the poll indicated that Palestinians were split over a unilateral proclamation of a Palestinian state. Respondents were generally more confident in the Fayyad government and less confident in.... Poll: Most Palestinians want peace with Israel Ha'aretz - Fafo poll conducted in West Bank and Gaza finds that 89% Palestinians support PA legislative elections this year, 84 % believe Fatah will win. Report: Lebanon forbids launch of Gaza-bound flotilla Ha'aretz 20 Jun 2010 - Lebanese sources tell Al-Hayat that flotilla organizers had not filed for the necessary permits, adding that travel to an Israel-controlled port is illegal. Poll: Obama's ranking in Muslim world slides over Mideast Ha'aretz - According to Pew Research Center global poll, Muslim world support of Obama drops drastically, most countries do not support military action against Iran. Israel to UN: We reserve the right to stop Lebanon Gaza-bound flotilla Ha'aretz 20 Jun 2010 - Lebanon aid ship Miriam to set sail to Gaza Sunday; Israel's UN envoy says Israel will use all necessary means to prevent ships from violating the naval blockade on Gaza. Poll: Globe backs Iran strike YNet News - WASHINGTON – United global front against Iran? The residents of several Arab countries, headed by Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, support tough sanctions against Iran as well ....... Poll: Half of Israeli Jews support international pressure for peace Palestine Note 17 Jun 2010 - Washington – Results from a new poll conducted by Jewish advocacy organization B’nai B’rith show widely dispersed - and some say unexpected - opinions key to Israeli Jews, including foreign pressure for peace talks, American Jewry... B'tselem: Gaza, 95% of factories are closed, 93% of water is polluted Uruknet June 14, 2010 - Most of Gaza's factories have closed and its water is polluted as a result of Israel's siege policy, according to a new report being released today by the Israeli Human Rights group – B'tselem. The siege policy has "led to economic collapse in Gaza," B'tselem noted in a 44-page report (PDF) that looked at Gaza,... Iran marks poll anniversary AlJazeera 12 Jun 2010 - Opposition decides against new protests a year after Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election. Special Refugee Survey Quarterly issue focuses on UNRWA Relief Web 10 Jun 2010 - Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Most Israelis back government in wake of boat raid - poll Daily Star 11 Jun 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Most Israelis back their rightwing government in the wake of the botched May 31 assault on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that sparked international outrage, a poll said Friday.The survey found that 57 percent of... Palestinian local polls postponed AlJazeera 10 Jun 2010 - Palestinian prime minister announces indefinite delay for July 17 ballot. Poll: 78 pct of Israelis view Turkey as enemy Daily Star 10 Jun 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Some 78 percent of Jewish Israelis now view Turkey, once Israel's only Muslim ally in the Middle East, as an enemy nation, according to a poll published on Thursday.The sharp switch in public attitude... Poll: 49% of Americans blame pro-Palestinian activists for flotilla deaths Ha'aretz - Ramussen poll: Only 19% of Americans believe Israel is to blame for clash aboard Gaza-bound aid ship Mavi Marmara last week. Poll: Half of Americans blame activists Jeruslalem Post 8 Jun 2010 - Rasmussen Reports survey shows more of US public sides with Israel. Poll: 49% of Americans blame pro-Palestinian activists for flotilla deaths Ha'aretz 8 Jun 2010 - Ramussen poll: Only 19% of Americans believe Israel is to blame for clash aboard Gaza-bound aid ship Mavi Marmara last week. Amnesty says Iran still holding hundreds from poll protests Daily Star 8 Jun 2010 LONDON: Human-rights group Amnesty International called on Iran Wednesday to release or try with genuinely criminal charges hundreds of detainees still being held one year after a disputed presidential election sparked a wave of mass protests.The... Khamenei raps opposition before anniversary of polls Daily Star 4 Jun 2010 TEHRAN: Iran's top authority accused the pro-reform opposition on Friday of betraying the legacy of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, as hundreds of thousands rallied to mark the 21st anniversary of the revolutionary leader's death. Addressing the same... Ma’an ranks top in online media, poll finds 6/2/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - A poll conducted by Ma'an News Network in cooperation with Birzeit University found the network's online news remained the top choice for Palestinians for the fifth year running. The Survey Analysis on Media and Good Governance, released in English on Wednesday, asked 1,362 respondents from the West Bank and Gaza a wide range.... Egypt goes to polls, opposition says supporters blocked Daily Star 1 Jun 2010 CAIRO: Many Egyptians were blocked by security forces and ruling party backers from voting in an election on Tuesday, particularly where the opposition Muslim Brotherhood was running, rights groups and the opposition said. The vote for... Survey: Facebook beats out newspapers among Arabs Palestine Note 25 May 2010 - Washington - A survey by Dubai-based Spot On Public Relations has found there are roughly a million more Facebook users than newspapers readers in the Arab world. Facebook has more than 15 million users in the... South Lebanon goes to the polls The National 23 May 2010 - South Lebanon went to the polls with Hizbollah-backed candidates running uncontested in mainly Shiite areas. Activists caution against Egypt poll abuse Daily Star 13 May 2010 CAIRO: Egyptian human rights groups on Thursday protested over the renewal of a decades-old emergency law, fearing it could be used to influence the outcome of elections in Egypt over the next two years. The Egyptian... Poll: Obama to blame for US-Israel crisis YNet News - Despite the ongoing tension between Washington and Jerusalem, a clear majority – 61% – of the overall Israeli public defines the relations between the two countries as ....... Poll: 60% of Palestinians favor indirect talks 5/7/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Palestinian Center for Public Opinion (PCPO) released the findings of its most recent poll on Wednesday, which revealed surprising results, including that 60% of Palestinians support the current effort at peace talks. The poll, carried out between 15-28 April, asked a random sample of 1,153 respondents.... Poll shows Hamas support slipping Palestine Note 7 May 2010 - Washington - Support for Hamas has declined in the West Bank and Gaza, but Palestinians' confidence in both top parties is waning, an opinion poll released this week shows. A child sports a Hamas al-Qassam Martyrs'... Britain goes to the polls for closest elections since 1992 Ha'aretz - Six latest newspaper polls put the Conservatives between six and nine percentage points ahead of Labour, making them the largest party, but denying them outright control. Britain goes to the polls for closest elections since 1992 Ha'aretz 6 May 2010 - Six latest newspaper polls put the Conservatives between six and nine percentage points ahead of Labour, making them the largest party, but denying them outright control. 21st century Israel more educated, tech savvy, survey says Ha'aretz - As of 2008, 22.9% of Israelis earned a college degree, a rise from 14.3% in 1995. Poll: More than half of Jewish Israelis support gagging human rights groups Ha'aretz 27 Apr 2010 - More than half of Jewish Israelis think human rights organizations that expose immoral behavior by Israel should not be allowed to operate freely, and think there is too much freedom of expression here, a recent survey found. ... Photostory: 'Occupied' Pollution Palestine Monitor 4/22/2010 There are 121 settlements in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem. In many of these, violence against the local Palestinian population is common. In a number, however, it is pollution that is a major problem. Waste-water pollution from settlements destroys crops and trees, pollutes ground and drinking water supplies, and damages land and harms wildlife and the communities dependent on it. Palestine Monitor examines 3 cases. Elqana - Just north of Route 5, near Qalqiliya in the northern West Bank, downhill from the Israeli settlement of Elqana, a pipe pumps foul-smelling domestic waste-water from the settlement into a Palestinian valley. The land is owned by farmers from the nearby town of Az Zawiya. The waste water also flows into a river that acts as a water source for the town. Uphill, two large tanks denote the water clarification plant whose construction is ongoing. The plant’s construction, a venture by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Company of Economy of the Local Administration, should halt the sewage flow. But there is a twist: the sewage plant is being built illegally, not merely under the international law that is roundly ignored in the West Bank, but under Israeli law. It was constructed on two dunams of expropriated land. Sign in Elqana detailing construction works on water clarification plant. Translation: “The local council of Elqana is pleased to announce that the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Company of Economy of the Local Administration operate upgrading and widening of the sewage plant of Elqana. The construction of the sewage plant is done for the benefit of residents.” The Land Project of Israeli NGO Yesh Din specialises in serving petitions against constructions in the West Bank that are illegal under Israeli law. In a similar situation over a year ago involving the settlement of Ofra, near Silwad, the project served a petition to the Israeli courts to halt construction of a water treatment plant. The plant was built without permits on illegally expropriated Palestinian land at a cost of 8 or 9 million NIS. more.. e-mail "Occupied" Pollution Uruknet April 23, 2010 - There are 121 settlements in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem. In many of these, violence against the local Palestinian population is common. In a number, however, it is pollution that is a major problem. Waste-water pollution from settlements destroys crops and trees, pollutes ground and drinking water supplies, and damages land and harms wildlife and... Abbas: No PA 'temporary border' state Jeruslalem Post 25 Apr 2010 - Mitchell expected to leave Israel without launching proximity talks. Poll Shows Waning Palestinian Support for Two States The Media Line 21 Apr 2010 - Support among Palestinians for a bi-national state is on the rise, poll suggests. There has been a steady increase in the number of Palestinians who are open to the idea of a bi-national state rather than... 2010: Palestinian Prisoners Day Palestine Monitor - There are currently more than 7.000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Hundreds are being held in administrative detention. 17th of April was the Palestinian Prisoners Day. Hundreds of Palestinians took part to the rallies organised across the West Bank and Gaza. Palestine Monitor's photographer, FLV, takes... "Occupied" Pollution Palestine Monitor: 22 Apr 2010 - There are 121 settlements in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem. In many of these, violence against the local Palestinian population is common. In a number, however, it is pollution that is a major problem. Waste-water pollution from settlements destroys crops and trees, pollutes ground and drinking water supplies, and damages land and harms wildlife and the communities dependent on it. Palestine Monitor examines 3 cases. Elqana Just north of Route 5, near Qalqiliya in the northern West Bank, downhill from the Israeli settlement of Elqana, a pipe pumps foul-smelling domestic waste-water from the settlement into a Palestinian valley. The land is owned by farmers from the nearby town of Az Zawiya. The waste water also flows into a river that acts as a water source for the town. Uphill, two large tanks denote the water clarification plant whose construction is ongoing. The plant's construction, a venture by the Ministry... Poll: One-state solution gains ground 4/21/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an -Support for a one-state solution is the highest it has ever been, a new poll by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre released on Wednesday indicated. The poll covered support for the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and the Hamas-led government in Gaza, as well as gauging trust in Palestinian politicians. It has a margin of error of three percentage points, the JMCC said. Nearly 34 percent of respondents favored a binational state in all of historic Palestine over the two-state solution, which only 43. 9 percent supported, the JMCC poll found. The decline in support for the two-state solution has persisted since shortly after the start of the Palestinian uprising in September 2000, however, those who favored a binational state were only 20. 6 percent in June 2009. In 2001, 18. 3 percent of respondents favored a binational state, according to JMCC polls. Poll shows one-state solution gaining popularity Palestine Note 21 Apr 2010 - A poll but in the field by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center shows support for a one-station solution or bi-national solution is gaining ground, Ma'an News Agency reports. JMCC polled residents in the West Bank... Poll: Rise in popularity of the President WAFA 21 Apr 2010 - JERUSALEM, April 21, 2010 (WAFA)- The results of the public opinion poll conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre show that there is a rise in the level of satisfaction in how Palestinians losing faith in Obama administration, poll finds Ha'aretz 21 Apr 2010 - Public opinion poll: 30% of Palestinians believe armed struggle is the best way to end occupation. World poll: Only 19% see Israel in positive light YNet News 20 Apr 2010 - Survey conducted in 28 countries on 29,000 respondents reveals that only Iran, Pakistan, North Korea have more negative perception than Israel. Most 'loved' country is Germany. 'Obama effect' has resulted in improvement in relations towards US for first time since 2005 Poll: Most U.S. Jews approve of Obama's approach to Israel Ha'aretz 13 Apr 2010 - Annual survey shows 73% characterize U.S.-Israel relations as 'positive' or 'very positive.' Political parties forge alliances as deadline passes for candidacy in municipal polls Daily Star 6 Apr 2010 BEIRUT: Political alliances in the upcoming municipal polls were being mapped out over the past few days as the Interior Ministry announced Tuesday April 4, 2010, as a deadline for presenting candidacies for the Mount Lebanon district. Following Monday's announcement of an agreement between Hizbullah and the Amal Movement, the New poll on American attitudes toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Palestine Note 27 Mar 2010 - A new poll out this week shows that while Israelis retain strong US public support, Americans are deeply concerned that the continuing Israeli-Palestinian conflict puts US interests at risk across the Middle East and the public,... Post poll: Obama still in single digits Jeruslalem Post 25 Mar 2010 - 9% of local Jews say US administration pro-Israel; 48% call it pro- Palestinian. OPT: Food Security and Nutrition Survey For Herding Communities In Area C, Joint UNRWA – UNICEF – WFP Household Survey Relief Web 25 Mar 2010 - Source: UN Children's Fund, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, World Food Programme Gaza water authorities: 90 percent of water is polluted Uruknet March 23, 2010 -- Director of the water authority in the coastal areas Mundher Shiblak warned Monday that the percentage of water pollution in the Gaza Strip reached to 90 percent, pointing out that the crisis is worsening due to the lack of desalination and wastewater treatment plants. This came in a meeting held on the occasion of the world... Gaza water authorities: 90 percent of water is polluted PIC 23 Mar 2010 - Director of the water authority in the coastal areas Mundher Shiblak warned that the percentage of water pollution in the Gaza Strip reached to 90 percent, pointing out that the crisis is worsening. Poll: 46% of high-schoolers don’t want equality for Arabs 3/11/2010 - YNetNews - March 11 - Some 81% of religious students said they would refuse to evacuate settlements, versus 36% of secular counterparts. Every second student is opposed to granting right to vote to Arabs, and 32% don't want Arab friends - Racism and refusal to evacuate alongside support for a democratic system of government – these are the jumbled sentiment of Israel's high school students, according to a recent poll. They support a democratic form of government, but more than half of them believe that Arabs should not be allowed to vote in Knesset elections. One out of every six students would not want to study in the same class with an Ethiopian or an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, and 21% of them think that "Death to Arabs" is a legitimate expression. Nearly every second student would refuse orders to evacuate settlements. Related: Report: Current Knesset most racist of all time Poll: Labor will lose big in next Israeli election Palestine Note 20 Mar 2010 - Yedioth Ahronoth reports on a new political poll this morning and concludes that the Likud party in Israel is losing support. But the poll numbers don't quite support that conclusion. The survey asked voters who they... Abbas: Quartet Statement very Important WAFA 19 Mar 2010 - AMMAN, March 19, 2010 (WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas described Friday the Quartet statement that urged the government of Israel to freeze all settlement activity, including natural growth, dismantle Holding back a settlement | Stephen Pollard The Guardian 19 Mar 2010 - Palestinian demands to halt construction in East Jerusalem are a ruse to end negotiations, and delegitimise Israel It's easy to look at the past week's events in Israel and paint Binyamin Netanyahu as the guilty party.... Poll: Nearly half of U.S. voters support total settlement freeze Ha'aretz 18 Mar 2010 - Survey shows 75% of American voters agree Palestinians should acknowledge Israel's right to exist. Poll: 46% of Israeli high-schoolers don't want equality for Arabs Uruknet March 11, 2010 - Racism and refusal to evacuate alongside support for a democratic system of government – these are the jumbled sentiment of Israel's high school students, according to a recent poll. They support a democratic form of government, but more than half of them believe that Arabs should not be allowed to vote in Knesset elections. One out... Poll: Half of Israeli high schoolers oppose equal rights for Arabs Uruknet March 11, 2010 - Nearly half of Israel's high school students do not believe that Israeli-Arabs are entitled to the same rights as Jews in Israel, according to the results of a new survey released yesterday. The same poll revealed that more than half the students would deny Arabs the right to be elected to the Knesset. The survey, which... MKs to Biden: Show kindness and mercy for Jonathan Pollard Ha'aretz 10 Mar 2010 - A group of Knesset faction chairs request clemency for convicted spy in letter to visiting U.S. VP. Israel launches monthly pollen forecasts to help allay allergies Ha'aretz 8 Mar 2010 - Starting this month, Israelis will have monthly pollen forecasts to help them plan precautionary measures for allergies and survive the pollen season with minimal discomfort. ... Jewish Polling: American Support of Israel at Near-Record High WAFA 7 Mar 2010 - HOUSTON,TEXAS , March 7, 2010 (WAFA)- At a time when propaganda campaigns to boycott Israel , divestment and sanctions against Israel, reliable polling data suggests that nearly two-thirds of Anti-Islamist leader scores major win in Dutch polls Ha'aretz 4 Mar 2010 - Wilders, who compares Islam to fascism, the Koran to Adolf Hitler's 'Mein Kampf,' could be next Dutch PM. Suicide blasts kill 33 ahead of Iraq polls Daily Star 4 Mar 2010 BAQUBA, Iraq: Three suicide attacks, including one by a bomber who rode in an ambulance to hospital before blowing himself up, killed 33 people in central Iraq on Wednesday, just days before nationwide elections. The blasts in Baquba, the deadliest to hit the country in nearly a month, also wounded 55 people and spurred security forces to clamp an immediate curfew Bomb plant seepage creating Israel's worst-ever water pollution Ha'aretz 23 Feb 2010 - Rocket fuel and remains of explosives that seeped into the aquifer from the Israel Military Industries Ramat Hasharon plant are continuing to spread, according to data presented yesterday for the first time by the Water Authority and obtained by Haaretz. ... 2008-2009 Survey of Palestinian Refugees and IDPs 2/17/2010 - Badil - This Survey endeavors to address the lack of information or misinformation about Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and to counter political arguments that suggest that this issue can be resolved outside the realm of international law and practice applicable to all other refugee and displaced populations. Chapter One outlines the history of Palestinian forced displacement from the British Mandate to the present, while identifying the ‘triggers’ of contemporary forced displacement on both sides of the ‘Green line’ in historical Palestine, as well as in exile; Chapter Two provides statistical information on the scope of displacement, and the distribution and characteristics of the refugee and IDP population; Chapters Three and Four clarifies the framework governing protection and assistance of Palestinian refugees and IDPs; Chapter Five sets out the basic. . . . US ambassador accuses Iran of role in Iraq poll ban Daily Star 18 Feb 2010 WASHINGTON: Reiterating accusations of Iranian interference in Iraq's internal affairs, the US ambassador to Iraq said Wednesday that he was in "100 percent agreement" with remarks by the top US commander in Iraq regarding Iran's involvement in a highly controversial decision that eventually barred over 140 candidates from running in Iraq's parliamentary elections next month. Israeli poll: 75 percent favour deporting fellow citizens; Netanyahu favours birth control Uruknet February 14, 2010 - A survey conducted by the Israeli Knesset channel shows that 75 percent of Israeli Jews are in favour of deporting Israeli-Arab citizens to a future Palestinian state as part of any deal between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority. Almost seven hundred people representing a sample of the Jewish public in Israel were asked if... Poll: 15% of Israeli senior citizens are on Facebook Ha'aretz 15 Feb 2010 - The stereotype of seniors sitting at home and doing little more than channel surfing may be quite off the mark, at least the channel part: 55 percent of the elderly in Israel report using a computer, and 15 percent even use Facebook. ... Survey: Modern Israelis clinging to traditional family structures Ha'aretz 11 Feb 2010 - The average Israeli is generally pleased with his life, his standard of living is up, his family relationships are happy and he has a mobile phone and internet services, according to Central Bureau of Statistics data released ahead of family day next week. ... Brotherhood arrests are tactic in Egypt poll' The National 9 Feb 2010 - More raids on the Muslim Brotherhood are expected after 15 members of the opposition party are detained in run-up to elections. Environmental protection chief: State is Israel's biggest polluter Ha'aretz 9 Feb 2010 - Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud), who is just completing his first year in the post, presented plans Tuesday for one of his most important goals: Improving the ministry's ability to enforce the law. ... Poll result shows that "the majority of Palestinians oppose the resumption of negotiations without the pre-conditions" Uruknet February 8, 2010 - An independent Palestinian news agency says that the majority of Palestinians are opposed to any resumption of negotiations with the Israelis without pre-conditions. According to a poll conducted by Sama on its website, 836 out of 1356 participants, 62%, said they oppose the resumption of indirect negotiations, as is now proposed, without any pre-conditions set by... Poll: Most Palestinians want Abbas to stay in office until next elections 3 Feb 2010 - Gaza, February 3, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) -- A clear majority of Palestinians want Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to stay in office until the next presidential elections, a poll indicates. A poll released Tuesday by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion indicated 57.6 percent of respondents want Abbas to stay in office. The president, whose term expired last year, has... Iran plans poll protest executions AlJazeera 2 Feb 2010 - Official says nine demonstrators to be hanged "soon" over post-election unrest. Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2008 – 2009 Uruknet January 28, 2010 - BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights is proud to announce the release of its biennial Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2008-2009. More than 61 years since the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe) and 42 years after Israel's belligerent occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the issue of forced displacement of... Iran executes two over poll unrest AlJazeera 28 Jan 2010 - Pair hanged for being "enemies of God" and plotting to overthrow government. Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2008 – 2009 Alternative Information Center 28 Jan 2010 - BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights is proud to announce the release of its biennial Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2008-2009. More than 61 years since the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe)... Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2008 – 2009 Alternative Information Center - 28 Jan 2010 - BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights is proud to announce the release of its biennial Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2008-2009. More than 61 years since the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe) and 42 years after Israel's belligerent occupation of the West... Iran executes two over poll unrest Uruknet January 28, 2010 - Iran has hanged two men over widespread protests that followed the country's disputed presidential election in June last year, an Iranian news agency has said. "Mohammad Reza Ali Zamani and Arash Rahmani Pour whose cases were confirmed by a Tehran appeals court were hanged on Thursday morning," the ISNA news agency said. The executions were the... Iran executes two over poll unrest AlJazeera 28 Jan 2010 - Pair hanged for being "enemies of God" and plotting to overthrow government. BADIL Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons 2008 – 2009 Relief Web 25 Jan 2010 - Source: BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights Biden in Iraq to defuse row over barred poll candidates Daily Star 24 Jan 2010 BAGHDAD: US Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Iraq on Friday on a mission aimed at defusing a political crisis after hundreds of candidates allegedly linked to Saddam Hussein were barred from March elections. The visit by Biden was not announced in advance for security reasons, but it comes amid the festering row on election candidates which has alarmed the White House and UN just weeks from polling day. Poll shows Israelis ready to pay 'any price' for Shalit Ha'aretz 22 Dec 2009 - A majority of Israelis believe "any price" must be paid to restore prisoners in enemy hands to their families. ... Survey finds Abbas would win election The National 19 Dec 2009 - Surge in popularity of president of the Palestinian Authority is matched by increased support for Fatah over Hamas, opinion poll shows. PCBS energy survey shows less solar, electric usage, more gas 12/16/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinians are using less electricity, more gas, and a decreasing number are using solar panels, a household energy and environmental survey by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics found. The results of the survey, released Wednesday, found 0. 6% fewer families were using solar panels, mostly for heating water. The number was down from the July 2008 number of 68. 2%. Overall electricity use was down, however, dropping from 271 KWh in July 2008 to 247 KWh during the reporting period. The drop in electricity usage was mirrored by a corresponding rise in gas and petroleum consumption, however, with the average household consumption of liquefied petroleum gas (domestic, cooking gas) rose from 14kgs in 2009, to 16kgs in 2009. The survey, conducted on homes throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip, was carried out between 23 August and 1 October 2009. River pollution hits Nile fishermen in Egypt Daily Star 16 Dec 2009 "It's becoming so hard these days. I only managed to get a few fish yesterday," said Galal Saed, 35, casting his net into the Nile near the town of Hawamdia, 25 kilometers south of Cairo. Saed said he usually catches 2 kilograms of fish a day which allows him to earn the equivalent of about $165 a month, but over the past few months he has had an additional headache: Al Mezan Issues a Report on the Environmental Pollution and Sanitation Problems in Khan Younis 12/15/2009 - Al Mezan Center for Human Rights - On Tuesday 15 December 2009, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights published a report on 'Environment Pollution and Sanitation Problems in Khan Younis'. The report presents the serious water, health and environmental problems faced by the quarter million people living in Khan Younis town due to the exacerbating sanitation situation. The report calls for urgent actions to deal with these problems, which affect a wide array of human rights in Khan Younis, and threaten water and health in the entire southern Gaza Strip. The report presents a background on the sanitation problems in Khan Younis. It examines the role played by the Israeli occupation in the problem, which is one of the outcomes of neglecting of the basic needs of the Gaza Strip towns during the 38 years of direct Israeli administration of the Strip between 1967 and 1994. EGYPT: River pollution hits Nile fishermen IRIN CAIRO Sunday, December 13, 2009 (IRIN) - “It’s becoming so hard these days. I only managed to get a few fish yesterday,” said Galal Saed, 35, casting his net into the Nile near the village of Hawamdia, 25km south of Cairo. ElBaradei mulls Egypt presidency if poll 'democratic' Daily Star 4 Dec 2009 Former UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei said he would consider running for Egypt's presidency but only if the election process were democratic, in a statement published on Friday. ElBaradei, who ended his 12-year stint as the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Friday last week, said he had been closely following calls for him to stand, the independent daily Al-Dustur reported. Pollard enraged by Schalit deal, urges PM to kill Hamas prisoners Jeruslalem Post 1 Dec 2009 - Jailed Israeli spy explains that while he wants kidnapped soldier home, the thought of Israel releasing terrorists "boils him with anger." Report: US officials survey settlements 11/26/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - US officials, some of them aides to special envoy George Mitchell, have been visiting illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank as a part of an investigation, the Israeli daily Ma'ariv reported on Wednesday. In the first such visit on Monday, officials from the US consulate in Jerusalem and Mitchell's team visited the settlement of Efrat, southwest of Bethlehem, the newspaper said. The officials were reportedly comparing the boundaries and number of buildings in the settlement with earlier maps to see whether settlements are expanding. The officials met with head of the Efrat Regional Council, Oded Ravivi, and other settler leaders. Mitchell has been at the forefront of Obama's unsuccessful effort to convince Israel to stop expanding settlements as a step toward resuming peace negotiations. President Mahmoud Abbas has said he will refuse to resume talks unless Israel complies with its prior obligations to halt construction. Security measures mar student polls The National 25 Nov 2009 - While regulations governing undergraduate elections in Egypt have been eased, recent ballots have revealed a lack of freedom, one observer says. Obama mourns Washington Wizards owner and AIPAC leader Abe Pollin Ha'aretz 25 Nov 2009 - U.S. President Barak Obama on Wednesday spoke of his sadness at the death of Abe Pollin, the Washington Wizards owner and leader of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, who died Tuesday at 85. ... Survey: 90% of Ethiopian Israelis resist interracial marriage Ha'aretz 16 Nov 2009 - Intermarriage between between Jews from different ethnic backgrounds has increased steadily over the past several decades, and people say that this is solving the socioeconomic gaps that existed between Ashkenazim and Sephardim in Israeli society. ... OPT: Socio-economic and food security (SEFSec) survey report 2 - Gaza Strip, Nov 2009 Relief Web 16 Nov 2009 - Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, World Food Programme
Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No (31) Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research - PSR, MIFTAH 3/10/2009 The popularity of Abbas and Fayyad declines sharply while the popularity of Haniyeh and Hamas increases significantly; but Fateh can still defeat Hamas and the overwhelming majority believes Palestinians after the war on Gaza are worse off than before the war 5-7 March 2009 These are the results of the latest poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip between 5 and 7 March 2009. The poll was conducted several weeks after the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip. The poll period witnessed return of Palestinian factions to reconciliation talks sponsored by Egypt. Total size of the sample is 1270 adults interviewed face to face in 127 randomly selected locations. Margin of error is 3%. This press release covers domestic Palestinian issues; issues related to the peace process and Israeli-Palestinian relations will be covered in a separate joint Palestinian-Israeli press release. more.. e-mail
European Parliament delegation surveys damage in Gaza Palestine News Network 3/1/2009 PNN - Jill Evans represents the whole of Wales in the European Parliament and was among a five-member delegation sent to report back on the humanitarian situation in Gaza following the 22 days of Israeli bombing. "As the new year dawned, like thousands of others, I watched in horror as Israeli bombs rained down on Gaza," she told the EP this week. Wales / Jill Evans - Having visited Palestine several times, I knew what death and destruction would be caused in this densely populated area (the size of Wrexham) where a million and a half people live. I had seen at first hand the grinding poverty caused by the Israeli occupation and the two year siege of Gaza. People who were already living in desperate conditions were now under attack with no way to escape and nowhere to hide. Now I was going to see Gaza after twenty two days of bombing. more.. e-mail
Survey: Most Jewish Israelis do not want more churches in Jerusalem Nadav Shragai, Ha’aretz 2/21/2009 The vast majority of Israeli Jews does not have negative feelings toward Christians living in Israel, but nearly the same proportion believes the state should not allow land to be used for constructing new churches in Jerusalem, according to a study published Thursday. The survey, carried out by the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies and the Jerusalem Center for Jewish-Christian Relations, 74 percent of respondents do not see Christians as "missionaries," and 76 percent are not bothered by encountering a Christian wearing a cross. Furthermore, 41 percent believe Christianity is the closest religion to Judaism, with Islam coming second at 32 percent. However, the study suggested that most Israeli Jews are considerably less tolerant when Jerusalem is concerned. Only 50 percent of the sample agreed that Jerusalem was central to the Christian faith, and 75 percent believe the state should not allow Christian organizations to purchase land to construct new churches in the city. more.. e-mail
Advantage Netanyahu After Uncertain Poll Analysis by Jerrold Kessel and Pierre Klochendler, Inter Press Service 2/11/2009 JERUSALEM, Feb 11(IPS) - Israeli voters went into their polling booths Tuesday uncertain about the government they wanted to lead them over the next four years, only to emerge from their vote even more uncertain about their country’s future. They delivered a surprise by narrowly preferring foreign minister Tzipi Livni over the right-wing former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The depth of the surprise was not, however, sufficient to give Livni’s centre-right Kadima party victory. Instead, though finishing behind his rival, Netanyahu will almost certainly be Israel’s next prime minister. This, because of the overall serious shift of voters to the right that gives his Likud party, together with its allies, a narrow, but probably workable majority in the 120-seat Knesset. "Let’s not lose sight of the fact that we on the right have increased our overall strength by 10-12 percent. " more.. e-mail
UNDP survey: 600,000 tons of hazardous rubble need to be removed in Gaza Palestinian Information Center 2/11/2009 AMMAN, (PIC)-- An initial survey conducted by the UNDP estimated that more than 14,000 homes, 68 government buildings and 31 non-governmental facilities in the Gaza Strip had been totally or partially damaged. As a result, the survey found that 600,000 tons of hazardous rubble must be removed. "This is a top priority," said Jens Toyberg-Frandzen, the UNDP special representative in the occupied Palestinian lands. "The rubble is mixed with poisonous harmful materials and may include unexploded ordnance. It needs to be urgently removed to protect the lives of Palestinians in Gaza and to facilitate immediate access to basic humanitarian and social services. " Rubble removal was included in the UN recovery plan issued on Monday, according to which, the UNDP appealed for $26,750,000 in order to be able only to clear rubble, demolish and clean up sites of damaged buildings, and identify and remove unexploded ordnance throughout Gaza. more.. e-mail
Ehud Barak’s day / Not a leader, a pal at the poll Jonathan Lis, Ha’aretz 2/11/2009 Ehud Barak’s campaign posters declared "He’s not a pal. He’s a leader. "But yesterday, the Labor Party chairman belied the slogan: He shook hands with voters at Tel Aviv polling stations, hugged party activists and even picked up several bewildered babies. The party’s Tel Aviv headquarters resembled a buzzing beehive yesterday. Dozens of young volunteers were on the phone urging potential voters to go to the polls. "We will make 100,000 phone calls from here today," Welfare Minister Isaac Herzog told the visiting Barak. In an adjacent room, Herzog showed Barak the list of problems that had already been reported by Labor observers at polling stations nationwide, including suspected vote-buying in Dimona, Carmiel and Nahariya. "Ehud, I want you to know the response has been amazing," Herzog said. more.. e-mail
Disenchantment with Iraqi politics mars poll Middle East Online 2/11/2009 BAGHDAD - Iraqis who shunned the country’s first election in over three years said they were disillusioned with politics and felt their votes would not make a difference. Fewer people voted in last week’s provincial elections than in any other election since the US-led invasion. Turnout was higher when Iraqi voters faced daily car bombs and sectarian killings. Last week’s record low turnout took place despite improvements in security and a combined effort by the electoral commission, candidates and the media to encourage voters. Many Iraqis informally polled by IWPR in Baghdad, Basra, Anbar and Karbala said they were hesitant about casting ballots in future polls, indicating a deep-seated mistrust of Iraqi politics. Ahead of the election, polls and officials predicted voter turnout ranging between 70 and 80 per cent. more.. e-mail
Police to block Marzel from Umm al-Fahm for poll Tomer Zarchin and Shahar Ilan, Ha’aretz 2/8/2009 Senior police officials said they would prevent exterme-right wing activist Baruch Marzel from entering the Arab city of Umm al-Fahm on election day. Police said they do so although the chairman of the Central Election Committee, Justice Eliezer Rivlin, rejected a request Friday by Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to excludeMarzel from serving at the polling station staff in the town. Rivlin, who is vice president of the High Court of Justice, also told Mazuz it was his job to remind the authorities of their responsibility to maintain order, keep the peace and ensure smooth elections. A letter in Mazuz’s name, written to Rivlin by assistant district attorney Gilad Shickman, stated that the police and the Shin Bet security service predict a "near certain" disturbance of public order and the proper election process if Marzel is allowed to serve on the committee. . . more.. e-mail
Poll # 167: (72.0 %) Evaluated their Economic Situation as ’Bad’ PCPO, MIFTAH 2/5/2009 Poll No. 167 Date: 04. Feb. 2009The most recent poll prepared by Dr. Nabil Kukali revealed that:(72. 0 %) evaluated their economic situation as ’bad’. (34. 1 %)believe that Hamas has won the Gaza war. (54. 4 %)hold Israel responsible for the war that recently flamed in Gaza. (43. 5 %)believe that Hamas’ power has increased after the Gaza war. (40. 6 %)are in favor of Fateh, (31. 4 %) of Hamas. (61. 2 %)oppose the deployment of multinational (UN) forces in Gaza Strip. (46. 0 %)propose for the present the formation of a national unity government. (57. 8 %)were in favor of the participation of Khaled Misha’l and some factions’ heads in the Doha’s Summit Conference. (51. 3 %)of the Palestinians are of the opinion that Hamas is navigating the country towards the wrong direction, (46 %) believe Fateh is doing that. Beit Sahour – The Information Bureau:In the most recent poll prepared by Dr. more.. e-mail
Elections 2009 / Poll reveals: The game is not over yet Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 2/4/2009 Less than a week ahead of the February 10 elections, Kadima has dramatically narrowed the gap between itself and chief rival Likud, a recent poll suggests. The poll, conducted by the Maagar Mohot Survey Institute and made public on Channel 2 Wednesday, reveals that Kadima is now only 3 Knesset seats away from Likud’s 26 seats. It appears that since the last Channel 2 poll, Likud has lost 6 seats. The poll predicts Labor Party, headed by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, will win 13 seats, while MK Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu is expected to win 19 seats. The poll was conducted among 1,894 participants over the course of the last three days. The current poll also takes into account two thirds of the undecided votes, which may account for the dramatic number changes since the last poll. more.. e-mail
Elections 2009 / New Movement-Meretz poll shows it losing undecided women’s votes to Livni Roni Singer-Heruti, Ha’aretz 2/5/2009 Recent polls for internal use by the New Movement-Meretz show that approximately eight Knesset seats worth of voters who define themselves as leftist are considering voting for Kadima, or more precisely, for Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni. The polls also show that most of the undecided are women - their choice could represent five Knesset seats. These women want Livni because they see her as a figure who is "fresh, clean and a woman," says Dr. Dan Miodownik of the Hebrew University’s Department of Political Science. Miodownik is coordinator of the strategic team of the New Movement-Meretz, and conducts the polls for the party. The finding is contrary to what had previously been believed - that the party’s potential voters would find themselves deciding between it and Labor. more.. e-mail
Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No 37 Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies, MIFTAH 2/4/2009 Background - By the end of the truce period that was announced between Israel and Hamas through Egyptian mediation, Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip that targeted animate and inanimate objects bequeathing huge destruction the results of which will continue for years to come. No sooner had the aggression against Gaza ceased, than the talk about rebuilding Gaza began; the rebuilding of Gaza became another point of controversy added to the letters of Palestinian internal split. The Palestinian split did not end with the destruction of Gaza despite talks about a Palestinian-Palestinian debate; split is susceptible to be intensified as the declarations made by some Palestinian officials indicate. The Palestinian question, thus, is totally driven into the maze of Arab and regional differences and the Palestinian decision making process is no longer purely and genuinely Palestinian. more.. e-mail
Elections 2009 / Far-right National Union: We’ll station poll observers in Arab towns Nadav Shragai Yoav Stern and Shahar Ilan, Ha’aretz 2/3/2009 The National Union announced Monday that placing far-rightist Baruch Marzel as a ballot box supervisor in the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm was only the first step, and that the faction plans to deploy a number of monitors in voting stations throughout Arab towns and villages. Arab leaders have warned that the presence of Marzel and other rightist activists would trigger a response. "We in the National Union plan to be at many voting stations in the Arab sector and to prevent the large-scale forgery that the state has ignored for many years," the party said on Monday. One of Marzel’s allies, Dr. Michael Ben Ari, is fourth on the National Union slate of candidates. By law, every party is permitted to field 40 representatives at voting stations around the country. more.. e-mail
Elections 2009 / Channel 1 poll gives Hadash four seats Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 2/3/2009 The Arab-Jewish Hadash party is predicted to win four seats in the upcoming parliamentary elections, the same number as leftist rival Meretz, according to a Channel 1 opinion poll released Monday. Hadash officials celebrated the poll as proof that the party is strengthening "at the expense of the old left", and claim that this increase in support is particularly noteworthy considering the fact that, "unlike other parties, Hadash does most of its campaigning is done on the street and on the Internet by activists and supporters, as opposed to billboards and intrusive banners. "Party members say that their viral Internet campaign ’Left vs. New Left,’ registered over 7,000 hits within its first 20 hours. Hadash members also say that they identify an increase in support within the Arab sector. more.. e-mail
Elections 2009 / Poll gives right-wing bloc 12 seat advantage over left Haaretz Staff, Ha’aretz 2/1/2009 The latest Haaretz-Dialog poll predicts the right-wing bloc will win 65 seats in the upcoming Knesset elections, a 12-seat advantage over the center-left, which is expected to capture just 53 of the 120 parliamentary places up for grabs. The right-wing bloc: Likud (headed by Benjamin Netanyahu): 28 seats / Yisrael Beiteinu ("Israel is our home" - a far-right pro-transfer party headed by Avigdor Lieberman): 15 seats / Shas (Sephardi ultra-Orthodox party headed by Eli Yishai): 10 seats / National Union-Habayit Hayehudi (coalition between two right-wing parties, the long-standing National Union and fledgling Habayit Hayehudi [the Jewish home]): 7 seats / The left-wing bloc [sic]: Kadima (centrist party established by Ariel Sharon and now and headed by Tzipi Livni): 25 seats. / Labor (headed by Ehud Barak and formerly Israel’s dominant party): 14 seats / New Movemment-Meretz. (latest incarnation of the left-wing Meretz): 5 seats. / Hadash. . . more.. e-mail
Netanyahu retains poll lead after Gaza campaign The Guardian 1/31/2009 The leader of Israel’s Likud party, Binyamin Netanyahu, has maintained a lead in advance of the country’s 10 February election that is several points clear of his main rivals, both of whom have been directly involved in the Gaza campaign. A poll published in the Maariv daily yesterday gave Netanyahu 28 seats in Israel’s 120-seat parliament, five more than his closest rival Tzipi Livni, the foreign minister and leader of the centrist Kadima party. Ehud Barak, the Labour defence minister, trails in third. Netanyahu opposes a substantial withdrawal from the West Bank and has said he would not prevent the natural expansion of settlements. Barack Obama’s Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, has criticised settlements in the past. Yesterday, Mitchell gave a sober assessment of the obstacles to peace. more.. e-mail
Iraq poll counting started Al Jazeera 2/1/2009 Counting is under way in Iraq after millions of voters cast ballots for influential regional councils around most of the country. The elections on Saturday were hailed by Barack Obama, the US president, as an important step towards Iraqis taking responsibility for their future. "I congratulate the people of Iraq on holding significant provincial elections today," Obama said in a statement on Saturday. He said the United States was proud to have provided technical assistance to the electorial commission, "which performed professionally under difficult circumstances. " The polls, seen as a test of the security situation in Iraq, closed at 6pm (1500GMT) following an hour’s extension by electoral authorities aimed at giving more Iraqis the opportunity to vote. more.. e-mail
Patriotism survey: 88% proud to be Israeli Ynet, YNetNews 1/29/2009 Survey conduxcted just days after IDF offensive in Gaza concluded indicates rise in patriotism among Jews to level close to that which was recorded prior to 2006 Lebanon war; figures among Arab public indicates growing chasm - National Pride: Some 88% of Israel’s Jews are proud to be Israeli, and 95% of them are willing to fight for their country, according to the patriotism survey, which was conducted just a few days after the IDF’s three-week offensive in Gaza concluded. The figures among the country’s Arab population were significantly lower and indicated a growing chasm between the two sectors. According to the poll, which is conducted annually, the sense of patriotism among Israel’s Jews has clearly increased compared with 2008 and has almost reached the level recorded prior to the Second Lebanon War in 2006. more.. e-mail
Survey: Iraq elections could be ’turning point’ Middle East Online 1/28/2009 BAGHDAD - Elections in Iraq this weekend could prove a "turning point" for the war-torn nation but fears of voting fraud remain a threat to success, an international survey warned Wednesday. The polls -- in 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces -- are seen as a key test of the country’s fragile security situation and political stability, almost six years since the brutal US-led invasion. "Whereas the January 2005 elections helped put Iraq on the path to all-out civil war, these polls could represent another, far more peaceful turning point," the International Crisis Group said in its report. Early voting started on Wednesday ahead of Saturday’s main ballot to try to avoid the security, logistical and electoral fraud problems of the 2005 elections, when all eligible Iraqis had to vote on the same day. About 614,000 police, soldiers, hospital patients and prisoners started casting ballots at 7 am (0400 GMT), with polling centres to close at 5 pm. more.. e-mail
Survey shows Israel’s poor grew even poorer in 2007-2008 Vered Lee, Ha’aretz 1/26/2009 The poor in Israel became poorer in the second half of 2007 and the first half of 2008, although the overall percentage of Israelis living below the poverty line remained largely stable, according to the semi-annual poverty report published by the National Insurance Institute. The report states that 418,000 families were living below the poverty line, representing 1. 63 million people, 777,400 of them children. The percentage of unemployed poor families rose in relation to the previous report for 2007, from 69 percent to 71. 4 percent. However, the percentage of working poor also rose: Families with two or more breadwinners living below the poverty line increased from 21. 3 percent to 23. 6 percent. (These families also became poorer by a rate of 7 to 10 percent. ) The report shows that the overall percentage of Arab citizens living below the poverty line declined from 51. 4 percent in the second half of 2007 to 50. 1 percent in the first half of 2008. more.. e-mail
Israel Begins Pullout; Gazans Survey Debris Jonathan Finer and Craig Whitlock, MIFTAH 1/20/2009 Israeli soldiers flashed the victory sign Sunday as they began withdrawing from the Gaza Strip. Shellshocked Palestinians emerged from shelters and counted their dead. But as a tenuous cease-fire took hold, few people on either side predicted an end to the cycle of violence that has endured for generations. The 22-day war ended without surrender. Neither Israel nor Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls Gaza, made any concessions, except to stop fighting temporarily. " The essence of this is you have two completely separate cease-fires, with no underpinnings in them of agreement or understanding, and no resolution of the original causes of the conflict," said Alistair Crooke, a former British intelligence officer and former European Union adviser on Palestinian issues. "On one level, it’s back to square one, and all of the elements of the situation are back to where they were before the war. " more.. e-mail
UN Secretary General surveys the destruction of Gaza PNN, Palestine News Network 1/20/2009 Gaza -- Under the terms of the ceasefire unilaterally declared by the Israeli administration as was the war, forces remain in the Gaza Strip. In the south’s Qarrara and Khan Younis tanks are razing large swaths of land. Two children were killed by left over land mines and thousands of people are trying to "return to normalcy. "Mourning for the victims, homelessness and joblessness are rampant with a destroyed infrastructure and 22,000 lost homes. A Gaza resident stuck outside says, "I am sad because my cousin’s home was destroyed," with the mourning spreading throughout the region. "And two of my friends were killed. "In the Strip today is United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who time and again called on the Israeli administration to lift the month and a half closure that preceded the major attacks, and repeatedly called for a ceasefire. more.. e-mail
Survey: Gaza operation likely to increase voter turnout Ofri Ilani, Ha’aretz 1/20/2009 The Gaza operation will increase voter turnout next month, says a survey conducted on Sunday under the auspices of the Max Stern Academic College Of Emek Yezreel, immediately after the cease-fire began. Of those questioned, 82 percent said they plan to vote in the February 10 Knesset election; by comparison, the voter turnout in the last national election, in March 2006, only reached 63 percent. Among those age 44 and younger, 76 percent said they planned to vote. A small majority, 54 percent, said the Gaza operation increased their level of confidence in the government and its institutions, while only 15 percent said it reduced their confidence. Nineteen percent said there had been no change in their confidence in the government. more.. e-mail
Poll shows Netanyahu sitting pretty Lilach Weissman, Globes Online 1/15/2009 The right-haredi block has a decisive majority, but the Likud’s extreme right wingers are out. Despite the successes of Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip, under a government of the Kadima and Labor parties, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak, most Israelis would like to see Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu installed as prime minister on February 11. A "Globes" survey, in collaboration with Geocartography, managed by Prof. Avi Degani, predicts a sweeping victory for Netanyahu and the right-haredi (ultra-orthodox) block in the coming elections if they were held today, and gives Likud 33 out the 120 Knesset seats. Contrary to other polls published in the last 24 hours, that project a close race between Kadima and Likud and a stalemate between the left and right, the Globes survey gives the right-haredi block 67 Knesset seats, and the center-left block 53 seats. more.. e-mail
Poll shows widespread public support for Gaza campaign Yossi Verter, Ha’aretz 1/15/2009 Almost three weeks after the beginning of Operation Cast Lead and less than a month before the Knesset elections, a Haaretz-Dialog poll shows widespread public support for the Gaza campaign. Less than 10 percent see the operation as a "failure. " The poll, supervised by Professor Camil Fuchs, head of Tel Aviv University’s Statistics and Operations Research, shows that Likud and Kadima have weakened slightly and would get 29 and 25 Knesset seats respectively if the elections were held today. Labor is holding steady with 16 seats. The right-wing bloc still commands more support than the center and left wing, effectively handing Likud chair MK Benjamin Netanyahu the next government. His coalition, however, would be complex, difficult to manage and possibly short-lived. more.. e-mail
World Food Programme to survey Gaza aid crossing Tuesday Ma’an News Agency 1/11/2009 Jerusalem - Ma’an - The World Food Programme’s regional director for the Middle East will attempt to provide food assistance through the Karem Shalom crossing into Gaza on Tuesday, according to a statement. Regional Director Daly Belgasmi told Ma’an he plans to "review the movement of WFP food assistance into the Gaza Strip" at the crossing on Tuesday. WFP has continued food distributions to the non-refugee population of Gaza throughout the latest hostilities and has provided rations to some 75,000 people since the war began on 27 December. In addition, the UN food agency has provided bread to some 15,000 people and canned meat and high energy biscuits to 6,000 people in hospitals. It is also supplying wheat flour to Gaza bakeries. more.. e-mail
VC survey indicates widespread pessimism Globes' correspondent, Globes Online 12/30/2008 Three of four respondents expected at least 10% of VC-backed firms to close in 2009. The fourth quarter VC Indicator survey of venture capitalists by Deloitte Brightman Almagor Zohar shows widespread pessimism as 2009 approaches. 74% of respondents expect at least 10% of venture capital-backed companies to be shutdown in 2009. Not a single respondent believed that start-ups will post an increase in revenue. 44% believe we will see a major decrease in the revenue, and 46% believe we will see a slight decrease. Deloitte Israel High Tech Leader Asher Mechlovich said that the difficult year ahead will essentially leave mostly strong companies. "Tech companies are headed for rough times. The revenues forecasts for the next year are all for decrease, albeit at varying levels, with no increases in the foreseeable future. more.. e-mail
Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No (30) Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research - PSR, MIFTAH 12/13/2008 While Hamas Maintains its Popularity Despite Boycott of Reconciliation Talks, and While about Two Thirds Believe that Abbas’s Term Ends in January 2009, Three Quarters of the Palestinians Support Abbas’s Call for New Elections Early Next Year if Reconciliation Efforts Fail and if Elections Can Be Held in Both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip 3-5 December 2008 These are the results of the latest poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip between 3 and 5 December 2008. This period witnessed the collapse of the Egyptian efforts to bring Palestinian factions to reconciliation talks in Cairo due to Hamas’s decision to boycott these talks. It also witnessed serious deterioration in the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Total size of the sample is 1270 adults interviewed face to face in 127 randomly selected locations. more.. e-mail
Israeli poll favourite Netanyahu reins in right Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem, The Observer, The Guardian 12/14/2008 Binjamin Netanyahu, leader of Israel’s Likud party and favourite to win the coming general election, has moved quickly in an attempt to head off the sudden rise of hardline right-wingers in his movement. When the Likud held primary elections last week to choose its list of candidates for the February vote, among the successful candidates were men such as Moshe Feiglin, a settler who advocates annexation of the occupied West Bank and who was banned from entering Britain this year because of his extremist views. In public, Netanyahu declared it ’the best team that any party is capable of giving the country’. In private, he was reportedly furious, particularly with the ascent of Feiglin. A successful petition to the Likud election committee has now raised regional representatives up the party list. As a result, Feiglin has been pushed down from 20th place to 36th, which means he may not win a seat. Current opinion polls have Likud well ahead of its closest rivals. more.. e-mail
Survey: Most Israelis think state must crack down on sex industry Ruth Sinai, Ha’aretz 12/11/2008 More than 80 percent of Israel’s Jewish, non-Orthodox population feels that prostitution harms human dignity and society and that it is a phenomenon that must be confronted. These findings were part of a survey conducted by the Authority for the Advancement of the Status of Women at the Prime Minister’s Office. The study also found that 50 percent of Israel’s Jewish, non-Orthodox population thinks there should be legislation to ban or limit the solicitation of sex services. The study was commissioned in order to gauge public views on prostitution. It surveyed 430 male and female Hebrew-speaking respondents from all sectors, with the exception of the ultra-Orthodox. Sixty-six percent of respondents said that the pimp is the sole criminal in prostitution rings, while 68 percent said that participation in prostitution stems from severe distress. more.. e-mail
Despite Netanyahu’s fears, latest poll shows Likud gaining strength Yossi Verter, Ha’aretz 12/10/2008 Despite Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu’s concern about the right-wing character of the party’s Knesset candidates selected early on Tuesday, a Haaretz-Dialog poll shows Likud to be gaining strength among voters. The poll, conducted on Tuesday under the supervision of Tel Aviv University statistics professor Camil Fuchs, found that if the general election were held today, Likud would win 36 seats, Kadima would place second with 27 seats, and Labor would trail behind with 12. Further analysis indicates Likud winning two seats from right-wing parties (one from Shas and one from Yisrael Beiteinu) and Labor winning one from Meretz-Yahad and one from Kadima. Meretz-Yahad fell to six seats from seven in the previous poll. Previous polls ordered by Netanyahu showed that the list’s inclusion of Moshe Feiglin, the leader of a right-wing faction within Likud, was liable to cost the party four or five seats. more.. e-mail
Palestinians place little faith in Obama - poll Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 12/4/2008 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Most Palestinians think theelection of Barack Obama as US president will have no impact on the chances of a solution to the conflict with Israel, said an opinion poll published on Wednesday. It found that 57. 5 percent of respondents thought that Obama’s election "will make no difference" from the outgoing US administration in terms of Middle East peace talks with Israel. The poll reported that 20. 2 percent of Palestinians were "more optimistic," 17. 7 percent were "more pessimistic," and the rest were undecided. A massive majority of 75. 7 percent said they were "not at all satisfied" over the role of the United States in the Middle East peace process, with just 8 percent saying they were happy with Washington as sponsor. Middle East peace talks were relaunched in November 2007 after a near seven-year hiatus, with the current US administration saying it hoped for a resolution before President George W. more.. e-mail
Survey shows Muslim support for UN using force to stop spread of nuclear weapons Allison Hoffman, Jerusalem Post Correspondent In New York, Jerusalem Post 12/2/2008 A majority of respondents in several predominantly Muslim countries believe the UN Security Council should have the right to authorize military force to prevent a country that does not have nuclear weapons from acquiring them, or to prevent the production of nuclear fuel that could be used to manufacture weapons. According to poll results released Wednesday by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, two-thirds of respondents in Azerbaijan, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey approved of the UN using force to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. People interviewed in the Palestinian Authority disagreed, with 59 percent telling interviewers the UN should not be allowed to authorize military action to prevent a country from acquiring such weapons. The data comes from a series of surveys on attitudes toward the UN conducted. . . more.. e-mail
Labor holds primary as poll predicts its collapse Shelly Paz And Jpost.com Staff, Jerusalem Post 12/1/2008 Under the shadow of a new poll predicting that the party will win only six seats in the February 10 national elections, almost 60,000 Labor Party members will vote in the party’s primary on Tuesday, After weeks of internal turmoil, threats by MKs to leave the party and unflattering polls, party members will choose their list for the 18th Knesset. According to a poll published on Monday and conducted by ’Panels Ltd. ’ for Channel 2, were elections held today, Labor, headed by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, would crash to only six Knesset seat. Labor won 19 seats in the last election. According to the new poll, the Likud would gain 33 seats as opposed to Kadima’s 25. The poll finds that Labor would be replaced as the largest party on the Left by Meretz - predicted to receive seven seats. United Torah Judaism and the Green Party would both get four seats, according to the poll. more.. e-mail
Elections 2009: Latest poll gives Likud big edge over Kadima Yossi Verter, Ha’aretz 11/21/2008 Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud have had a good three weeks, with no major slips, with brand new faces and with a good press, while Kadima is bleeding and Labor is disintegrating. The opinion polls are responding in kind: Likud opened a large, decisive lead of six MKs over Kadima. The right-wing bloc, led by Likud, is also firming up in comparison to previous polls, with 64 MKs versus 56 for the center-left. In effect, the right is much stronger than the center left, since its count also includes 11 MKs from the Arab parties: They will not be asked to join the governing coalition and in the current political climate their only use will be as part of a "preventive bloc" in the Knesset. These numbers are from a Haaretz-Dialog poll of a representative sample of the Israeli public conducted Tuesday under the supervision of Professor Camil Fuchs of Tel Aviv University’s statistics department. more.. e-mail
Survey: Likud growing in strength, Labor collapsing Ynet, YNetNews 11/20/2008 Benjamin Netanyahu’s list of prominent recruits, including former MKs Begin, Meridor, former IDF chief and former police commissioner, apparently boosting Likud’s popularity -If the general elections were held today, the Likud would win with 32 Knesset seats, whereas Kadima would receive only 26 mandates, a new survey published in Yedioth Ahronoth on Thursday revealed. The poll, conducted by the Dahaf Institute among a representative sample of 500 respondents, gave the Labor Party a mere eight mandates. The survey was held several days after Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu presented a list of prominent public figures who decided to join the party, including former Knesset members Dan Meridor and Benny Begin, former IDF chief Moshe Yaalon and former Police Commissioner Assaf Hefetz. A previous Dahaf poll, held in October 27, gave the Likud 27 Knesset seats, Kadima 29 and Labor 11. more.. e-mail
Poll indicates Likud Party preference among Israeli voters Ma’an News Agency 11/20/2008 Bethlehem - Ma’an - If general elections were held today, the Israeli Likud Party would win 32 Knesset seats, while Kadima would gain just 26, according to a survey published in the Hebrew-language newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Thursday. The poll was conducted by the Dahaf Institute, which sampled 500 Israeli respondents. The results showed the Labor Party with a smaller share of seats, just eight in a hypothetical election. The results came several days after Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu offered a list of Israeli figures who recently joined the party, including former Knesset member Dan Meridor and Benny Begin, former head of the Israeli army, Moshe Yaalon, and former Israeli Police Commissioner Assaf Hefetz. A previous Dahaf Institute poll, conducted on 27 October 27, gave the Israeli Likud Party 27 Knesset seats, Kadima 29 and Labor 11. more.. e-mail
’Spy’ admits to surveying Mugniyah assassination site Roee Nahmias, YNetNews 11/13/2008 Lebanese newspaper reports head of ’espionage ring’ for Israel was also ordered to reconnoiter place where senior Syrian officer was killed - Lebanese officials believe that the "Israeli espionage network" uncovered recently was involved in the assassination of seniorHizbullah commander Imad Mugniyah. Security sources told the As-Safir newspaper on Wednesday that the network’s leader, Ali al-Jarah, had confessed to his investigators that he was ordered to survey the Kafr Sousa neighborhood in Damascus, where Mugniyah was killed by a car bomb in February. According to the report, al-Jarah also admitted that he was later asked to reconnoiter the Syrian port city of Tartus, where senior officer Mohammed Suleiman was assassinated several months ago. The Lebanese security sources estimated that al-Jarah and his brother Yusuf were recruited by the Israeli. . . more.. e-mail
Secularist wins Jerusalem poll Al Jazeera 11/12/2008 Nir Barkat, a secularist venture capitalist, has been elected mayor of Jerusalem, Israeli media has reported. With votes counted in 704 of 707 polling stations, Barkat won about 51 per cent of the vote versus 42 per cent for Meir Porush, an ultra-Orthodox rabbi, and Barkat’s main rival. Arcadi Gaydamak, a Russian billionaire also contesting the election, was running a distant third with 3. 5 per cent on Wednesday. Claiming victory, Barkat said that the election showed "there is someone who will protect Jerusalem". He also pledged to be "the mayor of everyone". The election results are said to highlight the growing rift between religious and secular Jews in Israel’s poorest city. Barkat will succeed Uri Lupolianski, the first ultra-Orthodox Jew to serve as mayor of Jerusalem. more.. e-mail
PCBS surveys Palestinian industrialists on economic outlook Ma’an News Agency 9/28/2008 Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics released a report on the economic outlook of owners and managers of Palestinian industrial companies. The report is the 42nd in a series set to measure several factors within the Palestinian economy. Overall industrialists felt that production did not improve between July and August 2008, with only 18. 4% for Gaza Strip and 23. 8% for the West Bank citing improvement. A small number, 12. 4%, reported improved access to raw materials. Despite minor increases in production, a large number of owners reported a drop in sales; 40% attributed the drop to Israeli closures, and 37% to a decrease in purchasing power among Palestinians. Expectations grew more hopeful from the short, to medium term. Few gains or increased employment were expected during the next month. more.. e-mail
Survey: American Jews favor Obama over McCain Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz U.S. Correspondent, Ha’aretz 9/27/2008 An annual survey published by the American Jewish Committee on Thursday revealed that American Jewish voters favor Senator Barack Obama over Senator John McCain for U. S. president by a margin of 57-30 percent. The surprising figure to emerge from the survey was the unexpectedly large number of undecided voters, at 13 percent. Though the percentage of Jews in the U. S. is merely 2 percent, 4 percent of the votes in the presidential elections are generally cast by American Jews. In certain states, such as Florida, the Jewish vote is considered crucial. In addition, more than 40 percent of American Jews contribute to presidential campaigns, comprising one fifth of all campaign contributions. Therefore, it came as no surprise that Obama appealed to the debate committee on Thursday, asking them to rebroadcast his upcoming debate. . . more.. e-mail
Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No 35 Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies, MIFTAH 9/23/2008 Background The Palestinian political realities are still suffering from a sate of division between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and the division is intensified by a verbal conflict that escalates with the approaching end of President Mahmoud Abbas’s term. Several legal councilors and advisors assert that the President’s term ends simultaneously with the term of the PLC in January 2010. Others, however, say that the President’s term ends in January of 2009 On the other side of the Palestinian scene, Palestinian Israeli negotiations are stand still; they do not show any progress. More than one Palestinian official declared that the negotiations are not going to lead to the creation of a Palestinian state by the end of this year as envisioned by the United States and other participants in these negotiations. As for the truce (hudna) in the Gaza Strip between Hamas and the Israeli Government, more.. e-mail
Near East Consulting survey: 73% of Palestinians do not expect a state by 2008 Ma’an News Agency 9/7/2008 Ramallah – Ma’an - 73% of Palestinian respondents of recent survey ruled out a 2008 reunification of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, saying division would likely last for a long period of time. The survey was carried out by the Near East Consulting Company between 29-31 August on a random sample of 820 Palestinians of both genders distributed in the districts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip including the Jerusalem district. The margin of mistake in the survey was +3. 5% and had trust average of 95%. The results are as follows:87% of Palestinians support the resignation of the caretaker government if it means the formation of a national unity government. 79%believe that forming a national unity government will contribute in solving the current crisis. 56% of respondents support having Arab forces in the Gaza Strip while 44% are against. more.. e-mail
Fatah: poll shows Palestinian society standing against Hamas Ma’an News Agency 9/7/2008 Ramallah – Ma’an – Recent poll results show Palestinians are willing to stand in the face of the de facto government in Gaza, said Fatah spokesperson Ahmad Abd Al-Rahman on Sunday. Some results from the latest survey done by Near East Consulting, a polling and survey company that does monthly public opinion surveys, indicated a shift in opinion towards Fatah policies. One of the poll questions was whether respondents preferred the strategies of Hamas or Fatah, 76% of Palestinians questioned said they preferred Fatah’s strategy for achieving the aims of Palestinians, while 24% preferred Hamas strategies. Abd Al-Rahman said that the poll showed that "forces in Palestinian society stand in the face of the Hamas coup in the Gaza Strip. ”“They do so,” he continued, “after Hamas attempted to tear the Palestinian national texture and assault social forces. more.. e-mail
Kids abandoning TV for Web - survey Ophir Bar-Zohar, Ha’aretz 8/28/2008 Television viewers are satisfied with the fare provided by Channels 2 and 10, according to a survey released by the Second Television and Radio Authority. However, more and more young people prefer their media entertainment over the Internet instead of television. Channel 2 is still the leading broadcaster as far as viewers are concerned, the study revealed, but Channel 10’s loyal watchers say the quality of the station’s material improved in 2007 compared with 2006. Viewers are also becoming addicted to Video on Demand, and the Yes satellite broadcaster’s yes max services. The survey also shows viewers think TV news is fair and balanced on politics, but are upset by what they see as a insulting attitude toward women on TV. However, viewers feel they are exposed to less harmful content than in previous years, though sexual content still. . . more.. e-mail
Recent survey shows 40% of Gazans think about leaving Ma’an News Agency 8/9/2008 Bethlehem – Ma’an – A recent survey in Gaza found that 40% of residents are thinking about emmigration, while 63% do not have enough food, and 66% do not have access to necessary medications. The results of the survey, conducted by the Near East Consulting Company, were released on Saturday. The survey, called "Gaza Monitor," was conducted via phone interview between 29- 31 July. Surveyors called a random sample of 450 men and women in all districts of the Gaza Strip. Asked whether the economic downturn in the region began when Hamas took over in June 2007, 91% answered yes. The majority of the population also indicated that they found having goods available only in restricted quantities. Those who identified themselves as businessmen said that they found it difficult to obtain supplies in order to continue operating their companies. more.. e-mail
Ma’an poll shows Palestinians divided on ramifications of Olmert resignation Ma’an News Agency 8/8/2008 Bethlehem - Ma’an – Ma’anArabic’s weekly poll showed that Palestinians are unsure what to expect after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert steps town from his office in September. The poll recorded the opinion of 8417 readers of Ma’an’s Arabic News site on whether they thought Olmert’s resignation would mean positive change for the Palestinian people, or negative change. Voters were close to evenly split on the issue; 37. 7% said that the end of Olmert’s term would be good for Palestinians, while 32. 86% said that Olmert’s resignation would make the Palestinian situation worse. Almost equaling those with a clear idea of what will happen in September were those who responded "I do not know," which this week was 29. 44%. more.. e-mail
Livni Advantage Narrows in Israel Party Leadership Race: Poll Agence France Presse, MIFTAH 7/26/2008 Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni’s advantage as front-runner in the leadership race for her centrist Kadima party has narrowed, according to a public opinion poll published on Friday. Kadima, currently headed by Ehud Olmert, will hold a September primary that could lead to the embattled prime minister’s replacement. It is unclear whether Olmert, facing several corruption investigations, will choose to stand. Even if Olmert were to stand, Livni has been seen as most likely to win, but the poll in the Yediot Aharonot daily showed that former defence minister and current transport minister Shaul Mofaz is narrowing that gap. Asked to choose among five theoretical candidates including Olmert, 35 percent said they backed Livni and 26 percent opted for Mofaz. That compared with 37 percent for Livni in a poll on July 11 and 22 percent for Mofaz. Friday’s poll predicted an even closer race if only the two were running, with Livni at 47 percent and Mofaz at 45 percent. more.. e-mail
International poll marks shift in US public opinion towards Palestine and Israeli occupation Dr. Nabil Kukali, PNN, Palestine News Network 7/5/2008 more.. e-mail
Poll backs greater UN role in Mideast peace Khody Akhavi and Ali Gharib, Electronic Intifada 7/3/2008 WASHINGTON (IPS) - A majority of global publics say their governments should "not take either side" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, instead supporting a call for the United Nations to play a greater role in regional peace, according to a new international poll of 18 countries released here Tuesday. World publics gave low marks to Israeli, Palestinian, US and Arab leaders when asked how well the international actors were doing to resolve the 60-year old conflict, according to the poll conducted by WorldPublicOpinion. org. On average 58 percent of those polled said that they believed their country should not take a side, with only 20 percent saying their country should favor the Palestinians and just seven percent saying the Israelis. In contrast, those polled think the UN Security Council should take a robust role in resolving the dispute. more.. e-mail
Majority of global publics back greater UN role in promoting Middle East peace - poll Khody Akhavi and Ali Gharib, Daily Star 7/3/2008 Inter Press Service WASHINGTON: A majority of global publics say their governments should "not take either side" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, instead supporting a call for the United Nations to play a greater role in regional peace, according to a new international poll of 18 countries released here Tuesday. World publics gave low marks to Israeli, Palestinian, US and Arab leaders when asked how well the international actors were doing to resolve the 60-year-old conflict, according to the poll conducted by WorldPublicOpinion. org. On average 58 percent of those polled said that they believed their country should not take a side, with only 20 percent saying their country should favor the Palestinians and just 7 percent saying the Israelis. In contrast, those polled think the UN Security Council should take a robust role in resolving the dispute. more.. e-mail
Israel’s Olmert Averts Early Poll BBC News, MIFTAH 6/26/2008 Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has struck a last-minute deal with the Labour party to save his coalition and avert fresh elections. Labour’s leader, Defence Minister Ehud Barak, has agreed not to support an opposition bill to dissolve parliament. In return, Mr Olmert will hold elections for a new head of his Kadima party by September, which analysts say he is likely to lose. Mr Olmert is under investigation for alleged corruption. He denies wrongdoing and has not been charged. Mr Barak has recently called for his resignation, but Mr Olmert said he would not resign unless he was indicted. The next election is scheduled for 2010, but it is highly likely that Israel will have a new prime minister come September, says the BBC’s Tim Franks in Jerusalem. UncertaintyIsrael Radio said the Likud party was withdrawing the bill rather than risk seeing it voted down, which under parliamentary procedure would mean a delay on when it could be brought to the Knesset again. more.. e-mail
Abbas overtakes Haniyeh in Palestinian survey Reuters, YNetNews 6/9/2008 Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research conducts periodical popularity survey of Palestinian leaders, finds Palestinian president’s popularity exceeds that of Hamas PM by 12% -Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s popularity rebounded in a survey released on Monday after he renewed his call for dialogue with the Hamas Islamists who control the Gaza Strip. The poll, conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research, suggested that Abbas would win 52% of the vote against 40% for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh if a presidential election were held in the Palestinian territories now. A survey by the same group in March showed Haniyeh leading Abbas by 47% to 46%. The new poll was conducted shortly after Abbas called for "a national and comprehensive dialogue" with Hamas, which seized Gaza from Abbas’s more secular Fatah faction last June. more.. e-mail
Only 30% of public trust police, says poll Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 5/30/2008 Survey ordered by Public Security Ministry reveals gloomy figures: Only 38% of Israelis believe police are handling their duties successfully - No faith in the Blues: Only 30% of the Israeli public trust the police, according to a poll ordered by the Public Security Ministry. The survey, released Friday, reveals a series of grave figures pointing to a credibility crisis between the public and the police. For example, only 38% of Israelis believe that the police are handling their duties in a successful or very successful manner. Only six out of 10 people will turn to the police for help in case of distress or a nuisance. Some 1,500 people participated in the survey conducted by the Smith Institute. They were asked to answer questions regarding their stance towards the police in 2007. more.. e-mail
Survey: 52% of Israeli teens say Israel faces existential threat Shlomo Shamir, Ha’aretz 4/30/2008 An Anti-Defamation League survey revealed on Wednesday that 52 percent of Israeli youth believe the country faces existential threat, while 30 percent of those questioned have defined this menace as "serious." Meanwhile, 59 percent of Israeli youth are convinced a second Holocaust will not occur. The survey, which encompassed 500 teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17, was unveiled in New York for the Holocaust Remembrance Day. Only nine percent thought a second Holocaust is possible, as opposed to six percent last year. The survey also revealed that 91 percent of Israeli youth are aware of the existence of anti-Semitism worldwide, and 69 percent believe Israel should respond to any manifestation of anti-Semitism in the world. 80 percent said they never encountered anti-Semitism. more.. e-mail
Most Israelis prefer Golan to peace - poll Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 4/26/2008 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: More than two-thirds of Israelis oppose a complete withdrawal from the Occupied Golan Heights captured from Syria in June 1967 in exchange for peace, a poll published on Friday said. A total of 68 percent of Israelis rejected the idea of a complete withdrawal with 51 percent opposing a partial withdrawal, said the survey carried out by the independent Dahaf institute and published in the daily Yediot Ahronot. The poll was carried out after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that Turkey has relayed a message to Damascus from Israel expressing a readiness to swap the Golan Heights for peace. - AFP Tags: Israel, Peace, Syria Printable Version Send to a friend more.. e-mail
Survey: Nasrallah is the most admired leader in the Arab world Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 4/17/2008 Hezbollah chief Sheikh Nassan Nasrallah is the most admired leader in the Arab world, according to a poll released recently by the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland. Nasrallah seems to be gaining in popularity, with some 26 percent of respondents voicing support for him. Syrian President Bashar Assad also won an increase in popularity, according to the poll. The survey also found that the majority of Arab public - in contrast to their governments - does not view Iran as a major threat. Respondents said they believe Iran should be free to pursue its nuclear program and are opposed to international pressure to halt development. Some 44 percent of respondents said the outcome of a nuclear Iran would be beneficial for the region. more.. e-mail
US sinks even lower in Arab world’s esteem - poll Jim Lobe, Daily Star 4/16/2008 Inter Press Service - WASHINGTON: Despite renewed US efforts to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement this year, popular views of the United States in the Arab world have actually worsened since 2006, according to a major new survey of public opinion in six Arab states. Nearly two-thirds, or 64 percent, of more than 4,000 respondents in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said they held a "very unfavorable" attitude toward the US, up from 57 percent in late 2006, while 19 percent more said their views were "somewhat unfavorable" - roughly comparable to the results of 17 months ago. At the same time, support for Iran and its nuclear program appears to have risen over the same period, according to the new survey, the sixth in a series designed by University of Maryland professor Shibley Telhami and carried out by Zogby International since 2002. more.. e-mail
Great majority of Israelis against any sharing of Jerusalem - survey Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 4/15/2008 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: More than two-thirds of Israelis are opposed to any peace deal that would give the Palestinians sovereignty over Occupied East Jerusalem and the holy sites of its Old City, a poll has found. Seventy-one percent said they opposed handing over to Palestinians the Old City and its Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which Jews also revere as the Temple Mount, the poll conducted for the Begin-Sadat Center of Strategic Studies found. Twenty one percent said they were in favor of dividing Jerusalem to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians, while the rest expressed no opinion. In addition, 67 percent said they opposed handing over even Palestinian residential neighborhoods of Occupied East Jerusalem, which Israel captured with the rest of the West Bank in the 1967 war. The status of Jerusalem has been one of the major stumbling blocks in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process,. . . more.. e-mail
61% of Gaza Strip residents support ceasefire with Israel, poll reveals Ma’an News Agency 3/24/2008 Gaza – Ma’an – There is increasing support amongst Gaza residents for a ceasefire between Palestinian military groups and the Israeli forces, a poll published on Monday has shown. The poll of 563 adults living in randomly selected locations in the Gaza Strip was conducted by the Community College of Applied Science and Technology in Gaza. It also showed most of the respondents believe that the Egyptians will fail to convince the Israelis to abide by a ceasefire. 61% of the respondents support a ceasefire between the Palestinian military groups and Israeli forces while 39% oppose a ceasefire. 61% of the respondents also believe that the beneficiaries of a ceasefire agreement will be the Palestinian people, while 39% believe a ceasefire will benefit the Israelis. Regarding commitment to a ceasefire, 66% of the respondents believe that Palestinian factions will comply with. more.. e-mail
Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No 33 Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies, MIFTAH 3/24/2008 Background After Israel banned sending fuel and victuals to the Gaza Strip except in limited amounts, it launched a military attack on the Strip. Several countries and organizations condemned the attack and the Palestinian Authority (PA) suspended peace talks with Israel. Since the cessation of the Israeli military attack on the Gaza Strip, conditions relating to the siege are still the same and one of the residents of East Jerusalem made an attack inside West Jerusalem. The internal Palestinian crisis still persists; both of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas continue to adhere to their positions towards solutions to end the crises. Yemen has made an initiative to end the crises and representatives of both Fateh and Hamas headed to Yemen to negotiate on the principles of the Yamani initiative. The Results Following are the results of the Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No. more.. e-mail
Poll shows unprecidented equation between president Abbas’ and Haniyeh’s popularity Ma’an News Agency 3/17/2008 Bethlehem – Ma’an – A poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, revealed on Monday that if the Palestinian people were to choose between Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and deposed Prime Minister Isma’il Haniyeh, that Haniyeh would take the lead. The poll showed that Haniyeh received 47% of the votes, whereas Abbas received 46%. The poll was conducted from 13-15 March 2008, during the interim ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that followed the deadly Israeli invasion on northern Gaza, leaving 130 Palestinians dead. A poll conducted in December 2007 showed that Abbas would get 56% in contrast to 37% for Haniyeh. The gap between the two lessened after the Gaza Strip’s borders with Egypt were destroyed in January 2008 when Haniyeh’s popularity rose to 43% and Abbas’ became 51%. more.. e-mail this link
Survey: Haniyeh more popular than Abbas in PA Reuters, Ha’aretz 3/17/2008 Israel Defense Forces attacks in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip have boosted the popularity of the Islamist group’s leader Ismail Haniyeh among Palestinians in that territory and in the West Bank, according to a poll released Monday. The survey by the West Bank-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research showed that if new presidential elections were held, Haniyeh would receive 47 percent of the vote compared with 46 percent for President Mahmoud Abbas of the rival Fatah faction. The figures represented a sharp strengthening of Haniyeh’s popularity. He served as prime minister in the Hamas-led government Abbas dismissed after Hamas seized the Gaza Strip from Fatah in June. But the survey also found that Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, imprisoned in Israel and seen as a possible Abbas successor, would defeat Haniyeh by a clear margin. more.. e-mail this link
Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No. (27) Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research - PSR, MIFTAH 3/17/2008 With Increased Dissatisfaction with the Performance of Mahmud Abbas and with the Government of Ismail Haniyeh Seen as Having Greater Legitimacy and Better Performance than the Government of Salam Fayyad, Hamas’s and Haniyeh’s Popularity Increaseand Fateh’s and Abbas’s Decrease 13-15 March 2008 These are the results of the latest poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip between 13 and 15 March 2008. This period witnessed a limited lull that prevailed between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the Israeli incursion into Gaza in early March that left more than 130 Palestinians dead and after the bombing attack in West Jerusalem that led to the death of 8 Israeli religious students. Total size of the sample is 1270 adults interviewed face to face in 127 randomly selected locations. Margin of error is 3%. For further details, contact PSR director, Dr. more.. e-mail this link
Specialized Opinion Poll on the Status of Palestinian Women and Gender Relations Arab World for Research and Development, MIFTAH 2/21/2008 The Arab World for Research and Development, (AWRAD) has conducted a specialized opinion poll dated 2-5 February 2008 on the status of Palestinian women and gender relations. A representative sample, of 2400 Palestinians representing all districts in the West Bank and Gaza was interviewed. This poll is part of a study that AWRAD has launched to address gender-based relations and the status of Palestinian women and men. The results of this poll will be incorporated in the study that seeks to understand the internal and external factors that affect women’s participation in social, economic and political life. It also seeks to assess the status of women’s rights and the relationship structures among women and men. More importantly, the study will provide women’s and human rights organizations with an opportunity to reassess their approaches and tools in serving Palestinian women and society. more..
Two-thirds of Israelis still believe summer war of 2006 was justified - survey Compiled by, Daily Star 2/14/2008 Most Israeli Jews believe that the summer 2006 war was justified, even after the Winograd Committee published its final report last month, according to a survey conducted by the Peace Index Project published by the Israeli media on Wednesday. The Peace Index Project is conducted at the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research and the Evens Program in Mediation and Conflict Resolution of Tel Aviv University, headed by professors Ephraim Yaar and Tamar Hermann. The telephone interviews were conducted by the B. I. Cohen Institute of Tel Aviv University from February 4 to 6, 2008, and included 595 interviewees who represent the adult Jewish and Arab population of Israel (including the territories and the kibbutzim). The sampling error for a sample of this size is 4. 5 percent. Results have shown that a more dramatic change occurred, however, in assessing the committee’s toughness toward the military and political echelons. more..
Results of an Opinion Poll on Negotiations and Final Settlement Issues, Palestinian Elections Arab World for Research and Development, MIFTAH 1/24/2008 Introduction More than anything, this poll measures the impact of the latest attacks on Gaza on Palestinians’ views. Field work began the day after the Al Zaytoun attack in Gaza City that led to the killing of 15 Palestinians. The field work took place between 16 -18th ofJanuary, as the attacks on Gaza continued. During the period of 15-18th January, 35 Palestinians were killed and 125 injured. In fact, on two occasions the lives of our fieldresearchers were threatened, as missiles were fired in close proximity to their workstations. These attacks came immediately after United States President Bush, visited theregion and met with Palestinian and Israeli officials. The situation on the ground led to major shifts in public opinion, confirming the hypothesis that military approaches and violence reinforce hard-line positions, andnegatively influence the lot of all parties involved, especially the credibility of the president of the PNA and his government. more..
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