(Ha'aretz)Ephraim Yaar and Tamar Hermann - Two parallel opinion surveys assessing Arafat's leadership were held among Palestinians by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center (JMCC) and in Israel by the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research at Tel Aviv University - the Israeli one on Nov. 29-30, the Palestinian one on Dec. 4-5. On the issues of advancing the peace process with Israel, creating a democratic system of government that acts according to law, and developing the Palestinian economy, the percentage of criticism of Arafat in the Palestinian public is quite high. The conclusion from the results is that the widespread image of a revered leader, immune to criticism by his people, was apparently exaggerated. Some 70% of the Israeli Jewish public is now more optimistic about the chances for peace. Some 20% think Arafat's death has not changed anything, and 9% have grown more pessimistic. The Israeli Arabs' assessment of Arafat's leadership, ironically, exceeds the evaluation of the Palestinians themselves - 92% see him as a good or very good leader, compared with 82% among the Palestinians.
2004-12-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive