(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) David Pollock - According to a credible private poll of Saudi citizens taken in November 2009, a mere 9% of urban Saudis said they would accept Israel "as a Jewish state," even "under the right conditions." In Jeddah, hypothetical acceptance of a Jewish state was 17%, compared to 4% in Riyadh. When asked whether "financially supporting armed mujahedin fighting in various places around the world is an Islamic duty," 32% in Jeddah said yes, compared to 36% in Riyadh and 42% in Dammam/al-Khobar. After thirty years of formal Egyptian-Israeli peace, 26% of Egyptians said they could accept Israel as a Jewish state, a distinctly minority opinion. The writer is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute.
2010-01-19 09:03:05Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive