The survey indicated widespread fears about US President Donald Trump’s threat to expel Palestinians from Gaz [Getty]
More than two-thirds of Palestinians do not believe that Arab and Islamic countries are doing enough to protect people in Gaza from Israel‘s onslaught, according to new polling.
The survey, conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Public Opinion (PCPO), polled 1,500 Palestinians living in Gaza and the occupied West Bank between 5 to 15 March about recent developments in the conflict.
The results indicate widespread disappointment with the Arab world’s response to Israel’s destruction of Gaza.
Frustration is particularly high in Gaza, where almost three-quarters of respondents said that the Arab response has been inadequate, while two-thirds of people in the West Bank said the same.
“Historically, Palestinians have looked to Arab and Islamic nations for political, diplomatic, and material support. However, there is a perception that many of these countries have prioritised geopolitical interests and diplomatic relations over steadfast backing for Palestinian rights,” Nabil Kukali, president and founder of the PCPO, told The New Arab.
“The normalisation of relations between several Arab states and Israel has contributed significantly to this mistrust. Many Palestinians view these agreements as a sign that their struggle is being sidelined in favor of economic and strategic interests,” he said.
The survey also revealed widespread fears that the US and Israel will move to forcibly displace Gaza’s 2.2 million residents.
Three-quarters of people in Gaza and more than half in the West Bank expressed concerns about US President Donald Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza and rebuild it as a luxury tourist destination.
Trump in February announced that the US would look to occupy the Gaza Strip after the war and permanently expel the population to construct what he called the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
The president has since downplayed his threat to deport the Palestinians though recent reports suggest that the US and Israel have been in talks with several African countries about taking in displaced Gazans.
Israel lauded Trump’s proposal and set about preparing for what it calls the “voluntary” migration of Palestinians from Gaza before resuming its brutal assault on the territory on Tuesday.
The proposal was met with backlash across the Arab world, which has endorsed a rival plan drawn up by Egypt which provides a roadmap for Gaza’s reconstruction that doesn’t involve displacing the population.
Egypt, together with Jordan, has rebuffed pressure from the Trump administration to resettle Palestinians from Gaza.
The poll also reveals sharply divergent views on Hamas and the Palestinian Authority between people living in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
More than 60% of people in Gaza voiced support for transferring power to the Palestinian Authority, an idea supported by just a quarter of people in the West Bank, where the PA is highly unpopular.
Regarding Hamas, less than a fifth of respondents in Gaza said they consider the group to represent Palestinian resistance.
Its popularity is higher in the occupied West Bank, where nearly half of people voiced support for the group.
