RAMALLAH — Most Palestinians think the Islamic insurgency forced Israel's decision to unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip, according to a new poll.
The survey reported that a majority of Palestinians credit strikes by
Hamas and Islamic Jihad for the decision by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to
withdraw from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank and evict their 10,000
Jewish residents. The poll also found, however, that only 40 percent of those surveyed want the attacks to continue.
The study was conducted by the Center for Opinion Polls and Survey
Studies, based in An Najah University in Nablus.
Forty percent of
respondents agreed that "pressure caused by Palestinian resistance" led to
the Israeli withdrawal decision. Another 34 percent said Israel regarded its
presence in the Gaza Strip as a "security and economic inexpediency."
Twenty-two percent of respondents did not cite the Palestinian war as a
reason for the Israeli withdrawal. Instead, they said the pullout decision
stemmed from international pressure on Israel.
[On Tuesday, Palestinian gunners fired a Kassam-class short-range missile
into Israel. The missile landed in the Israeli city of Sderot. There were no
reports of injuries. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility, Middle East Newsline reported.]
About 40 percent expressed support for continued attacks on Israel after
the Gaza withdrawal. Fifty-two percent opposed the insurgency campaign and
8.4 percent said they were undecided.
A poll of Israelis reported a decrease in support for Sharon's plan. In
a survey of 519 Israeli adults conducted by Tel Aviv University's Herzog
Institute for Media, Society, and Politics, 48 percent expressed support for
the plan. The poll reported that most of the respondents believed the
withdrawal would bolster Palestinian attacks as well as civil unrest in
Israel.
