Tuesday, July 19, 2005 15:15 IST
JNW HEADLINE NEWS

Arabs say terror forced Israel from Gaza
By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff

July 19th, 2005

A public opinion poll conducted last week revealed a majority of Palestinian Arabs believe unrelenting Islamic terrorism brought about Israel's decision to surrender control of the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria and uproot all Jews living there.

Carried out by the Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah University in Shechem, the poll also showed nearly half of all “Palestinians” want to see anti-Jewish violence continue following the planned Israeli withdrawal.

Asked what factor they believed played the biggest role in causing Israel's Knesset to approve the “disengagement,” 40 percent of respondents voted for “pressure caused by Palestinian resistance” - meaning the the blowing up of Israeli buses, cafes, restaurants and shopping malls, as well as incessant rocket and mortar attacks.

Some 34 percent said the “security and economic inexpediency” of remaining in Gaza was behind Israel's intended pullout, while slightly more than 22 percent attributed the the move to international pressure on the Jewish state.

Nearly 40 percent of Palestinian Arabs said they would support launching attacks against Israeli targets from Gaza even after the withdrawal. Fifty-two percent rejected the notion, while 8.4 percent were undecided.

The results of survey seemed to give broad public backing to the often-repeated claim by Hamas terrorists that their ongoing terrorist assault against Israel's Jews had redeemed Gaza from non-Muslim rule.

Gaza-based Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar reiterated his group's position Monday.

Our “rockets have forced Israel to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, and they will end the occupation in the future,” said Zahar, referring to Hamas's stated goal of “liberating” all lands west of the Jordan River from Jewish control.

Zahar stressed that it was terrorist aggression, “and not...negotiations, that brought about the end of the occupation.”

The Hamas leader was responding to recent statements by PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas that terrorist attacks against Israeli Jews at this time were harming the national interests of the Palestinian Arabs.

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