Seeker Blog

That almost all Arabs would rather live in Israel than in a Palestinian state is well-known. But the fact that most Palestinians actually prefer Israeli occupation to Palestinian self-rule is a show-stopper.

Asked, “Would you prefer to be a citizen of Israel or of a new Palestinian state?” 62 percent want to remain Israeli citizens and 14 percent want to join a future Palestinian state. Asked, “Do you support transferring the Triangle [an Arab-dominated area in northern Israel] to the Palestinian Authority?” 78 percent oppose the idea and 18 percent support it.

Boston University historian Richard Landes:

The Augean Stables documented Palestinian and Israeli Arab preference for Israeli rule, even occupation, in the aftermath of New York Times article about Hamas brutality in the Gaza Strip. Daniel Pipes has written extensively on the phenomenon, including an op-ed in yesterday’s Jerusalem Post. Pipes’ article includes two new polls released in the past week from Keevoon Research, Strategy & Communications and the Arabic newspaper As-Sennara .

In both polls, the high number of Arabs who refuse to answer is indicative of a wariness about upsetting the current order and the powers that be, both local and national. It is common for Israel’s Arabs to avoid public political expression for fear of retribution by clansmen or local parties, or for a desire to avoid attention from the authorities. Therefore, it is generally difficult to gauge Israeli Arab opinion with traditional polling. Their actions are more indicative of their real feelings. When it was conceivable that the PA would gain control over East Jerusalem, so many East Jerusalemites applied for Israeli citizenship that the ranking Islamic official in Jerusalem issued an edict forbidding the practice. Golan’s Druze population, unsure of the future status of the Golan Heights, remain officially ambivalent when discussing Israel or Syria, but more than a third have signed forms stating their intent to move to the Galilee should the Golan fall under Syrian control. The percentage that would do so is likely much higher than those who are willing to sign their names to such a form.

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