Did you know that the majority of Israelis support the creation of an independent Palestinian state? I learnt this today at a meeting with a professor from Tel Aviv university who established the "Peace Index," an ongoing poll of Israeli public opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Even at the height of the second intifada, when terror attacks were more frequent, the poll consistently found that the majority of Israelis supported the creation of a Palestinian state.
The professor also told me, however, that roughly two-thirds of people believe that even if an agreement is reached, that it will not end the conflict. Furthermore, between 60-70 percent of Jewish Israelis believe that if Palestinians or Arabs had the chance, they would destroy Israel.
On the Palestinian side, a 2007 poll by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion, found that 60 percent of Palestinians supported the two-state solution. And in June and September 2008, the poll found that the majority of Palestinians were opposed to suicide bombings inside Israel.
It seems strange then, that both Israelis and Palestinians elected parties that openly say they want the opposite, that show no desire for a two-state solution. (Remember, it was Hamas who won the 2006 Palestinian elections). So the bad news, even though the majority of Israelis and Palestinians say they want a two-state solution, they vote otherwise. But the good news, the polls reveal that they do not accept the status quo either, that they dream of a different future. Now that is cause for hope!
53 days to go...
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ATTITUDE vs. BEHAVIOUR
ReplyDeleteIt sounds pretty much like the phenomenon in consumption patterns for ecological products. The theory of "blocking factors" has gained some reputation in explaining why "green" hearts do not buy green.
Main blocking factors usually are:
- the higher price of green products when compared to conventional ones
- the opportunity costs of behavioral change (which cannot be expressed in USD)
- insecurity about the green-product's "greenness"
- people tend to rationalize extremely daily routines like shopping and travelling
- inherent bias with attitudinal interviews: the interviewed person tends to answer following patterns of social desirability or the interviewee's expectations
You figure out!
All the best!
Fabio