Mob attacks researchers who found few Palestinians want their old homes now in Israel

UK INDEPENDENT ^

[TheOtherOne]

Mob attacks researchers who found few Palestinians want their old homes now in Israel

By Eric Silver in Jerusalem

14 July 2003

A mob of about 100 Palestinian refugees stormed the office of a Ramallah polling organisation yesterday to stop it publishing a survey showing that five times as many refugees would prefer to settle permanently in a Palestinian state than return to their old homes in what is now Israel.

The protesters pelted Khalil Shikaki, the director of the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research, with eggs, smashed computers and assaulted the nine staff members on duty. A female worker was treated in hospital for her injuries. "This is a message for everyone not to tamper with our rights," one of the rioters said.

Dr Shikaki, a leading West Bank political scientist, was undeterred. He said he was still putting the survey results on the centre's website and seeking the widest possible exposure. "These people," he said, "had no idea what the results were. They were sold disinformation."

The poll, conducted among 4,500 refugees in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Jordan, was the first to ask where they would want to live if Israel recognised a right of return.

Only 10 per cent of the refugees chose Israel, even if they were allowed to live there with Palestinian citizenship; 54 per cent opted for the Palestinian state; 17 per cent for Jordan or Lebanon, and 2 per cent for other countries. Another 13 per cent rejected all these options, preferring to sit it out and wait for Israel to disappear, while 2 per cent didn't know.

The future of more than three million refugees is critical to any lasting peace. It was one of the unresolved issues that caused the July 2000 Camp David summit to break down.

• The Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad warned yesterday they would end a truce announced last month if the Palestinian Authority continued to try to disarm them.

[TheOtherOne]

Typical of the Palestinians. What a sad and lawless land. The Palestinians, it seems, will never join the civilized world.

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[Nachum]

Also posted here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/945477/posts

[Threepwood]

I think this is very interesting news for Israel. A lot of people might accept a cash benifit and a life in Gaza/West Bank rather than continuing to demand the destruction of Israel. That would not have been the case 20 years ago, and could indicate a little hope.

[TheOtherOne]

hate when that happens. Searched the word "mob" the story did not come up.

[Imal]

The protesters pelted Khalil Shikaki, the director of the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research, with eggs, smashed computers and assaulted the nine staff members on duty.

I see the protesters decided to address the manner in the traditional Palestinian way. They even used eggs in accordance with ancient fertility blessings. How quaint.

Good thing for Khalil that this was a "friendly" disagreement.