Palestinians not interested in peace with Israel

NY Times:

A new poll shows that an overwhelming majority of Palestinians support the attack this month on a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem that killed eight young men, most of them teenagers, an indication of the alarming level of Israeli-Palestinian tension in recent weeks.

The survey also shows unprecedented support for the shooting of rockets on Israeli towns from the Gaza Strip and for the end of the peace negotiations between Palestinian and Israeli leaders.

The pollster, Khalil Shikaki, said he was shocked because the survey, taken last week, showed greater support for violence than any other he had conducted over the past 15 years in the Palestinian areas. Never before, he said, had a majority favored an end to negotiations or the shooting of rockets at Israel.

...

Mr. Shikaki’s poll also showed that the militant Islamist group Hamas, which Israel and the United States have been trying to isolate, is gaining popularity in the West Bank while its American-backed rival, the more secular Fatah, is losing ground. Asked for whom they would vote for president, 46 percent chose Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, the current president, while 47 percent chose Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas.

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On negotiations between Ehud Olmert, prime minister of Israel, and Mr. Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, 75 percent said they were without benefit and should be terminated. Regarding the thousands of rockets that have been launched on Israeli towns like Sderot and Ashkelon, 64 percent support it.

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This story was not found on the Times introductory page but through a search after seeing a reference to it in the Jerusalem Post. The times buried it for obvious reasons. This attitude by the Palestinians make them unlikely to abide by any agreement that may be reached with Israel. The Palestinians have nothing of value to offer the Israelis. Their support for terrorism will only result in more Israeli attacks on Palestinians. The Palestinians have to be one of the sickest societies on earth. They are incapable of taking responsibility for their own circumstances and they continue to blame Jews for their problems. Their ethnic hatred and religious bigotry is making their situation worse.