Poll: 77% of Israeli Arabs would rather live in Israel than in any other country in the world

Ha'aretz ^ | 16:53 23/06/2008 | By Bradley Burston, Haaretz Correspondent

[Cinnamon Girl]

A recent opinion poll conducted by Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government found that 77 percent of Israeli Arabs would rather live in Israel than in any other country in the world.

The survey of 1,721 Israelis, both Arab and Jewish, also showed that 73 percent of the Jews and 94 percent of the Arabs want Israel to "be a society in which Arab and Jewish citizens have mutual respect and equal opportunities."

The Kennedy School said in a statement that the poll produced a number of results it termed surprising, pointing to a higher level of co-existence than might have been anticipated.

The research comes at a period of simmering tensions in some sectors of the Arab-Jewish divide within Israel.

The release of the poll coincided with celebrations, accompanied by widespread Israeli Arab boycotts, of the 60th anniversary of the state's declaration of independence.

[Cinnamon Girl]

That's weird... arab muslims LIKE living in Israel, and yet they boycott the anniversary of Israel's statehood. And their filthy brethren in Gaza are lobbing missiles as we speak. Even though there is a cease fire. Someone didn't get someone else's memo I guess. Maybe Obama can explain it to us.

[NonValueAdded]

Insufficient data ... is that with or without Jews?

[bamahead]

Maybe Obama can explain it to us.

He'll just refer us to his spokesperson, Winnie The Pooh.

[Natchez Hawk]

Yeah, I’d like to keep living in my country to.

[fish hawk]

If this is true, those Israeli Arabs should be insisting that the Israeli army go kick the butts off the Palestinians that are threatening their good life.

[ASA Vet]

Me two

[forkinsocket]

They like living in Israel, they just hate the Jews.

[smedley64]

The Washington Times hinted at this a month or so ago, when they published comments from arab bloggers who were expressing respect for the fact that Israeli leaders are held accountable for their actions, while the despots that rule most of Arabia do whatever they want and are accountable to no one. link

[MrB]

No, seriously, their lives are 1000’s of times better living in Israel (a Western Culturally based society) than it would be in any Muslim dominated shithole in the world.

This is part of the reason the Muslims hate Israel so much and wish to see it wiped out of their locale - the Muslim countries look that much worse when compared to a little Western style country that prospers, is clean, is less violent, has more luxuries, etc.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Then a lot of them should go back to Jordan where they came from.

[vanishing liberty]

Sounds like a whole lotta love going on...

[SJackson]

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[SJackson]

That's weird... arab muslims LIKE living in Israel, and yet they boycott the anniversary of Israel's statehood.

And despite being offered citizenship since 1967 most East Jerusalem Arabs turn down the offer, though they're happy to live in Israel. I suspect future retaliation from their barbarous brother Arabs is a factor.

[Cinnamon Girl]

I see from some of your other posts that you don’t know the history of Israel and have bought into the Arafat/Reuters school of thought.

[Natchez Hawk]

The history of Israel is 60 years old. I know it is a shock, but there were people living in the same place 61 years ago. I know that much history.

[Convert from ECUSA]

Looks like they didn’t get the memo. They like the better working conditions, the better wages, the better housing, etc. They just don’t like the Jewish people living there.

[MrB]

Here’s an idea, because it’s the geographical area that gives such great living conditions, why don’t they just kick out the Jews and implement Sharia law,

and then everything would be perfect there...

/sarc

[A.P.M.]

Your comment reminds me of a “documentary” I saw a few years ago, the subject being American college students on spring break in Mexico. One of the girls who was interviewed was explaining how much she loved to party in Cancun saying, “Cancun’s hawt! I love it here! Except for all the Mexicans, ewww.”

hahaha

[Jeb21]

Israel's history goes back to Ancient Times. The Arabs only came to the land of Israel when the Jews turned the deserts into gardens in the late 1800's, because they couldn't get a job in their own damn country.

[Natchez Hawk]

Oh, that’s what happened. Nobody lived there until the 1800’s. I guess the Bible, Roman Empire, Abbassids, Crusades, Ottoman Empire, et. al. were historical fiction.