Poll: Palestinians back peace bid, but don't expect progress - Haaretz

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Last update - 15:03 20/11/2007

Poll: Palestinians back peace bid, but don't expect progress

By The Associated Press

Tags: Annapolis, Palestinians

A majority of Palestinians want Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to negotiate a peace deal with Israel, but don't believe there will be progress at next week's U.S.-hosted Mideast conference, a poll showed.

There has been a slight drop in skepticism about the conference, to be held in Annapolis, Maryland, in the past two months, according to the survey by the independent polling company Near East Consulting.

In November, 57 percent of 1,200 respondents said they don't believe the conference will lead to progress in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, compared to 61 percent in September, according to the poll, which had an error margin of 3 percentage points.

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Seventy-one percent said they want Abbas to attend the conference, down five percentage points from an October poll.

"Palestinians... don't want to be seen as unwilling to be part of a peace process," said pollster Jamil Rabah, explaining the apparent contradiction. Many Palestinians don't believe the international environment is right for a peace deal, but still support Abbas' efforts to negotiate, he said.

Seventy-eight percent of the respondents said they support a peace agreement with Israel, and 51 percent said the fate of Jerusalem is the most important issue for the two sides to negotiate.

In the poll, 62 percent said they want Jerusalem to be divided between Israel and a future Palestinian state. The issue is one of the most divisive between the two sides.

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1.	At least the Pals are willing to share Jerusalem	18:07	\|	Shylock	20/11/07

2.	Eyes Open	18:33	\|	Mark of Lewiston	20/11/07

3.	The Will of the People?	19:27	\|	MichaelF	20/11/07

4.	Peace?	20:49	\|	P. J. Casey	20/11/07

5.	POLL???	21:09	\|	Robert	20/11/07

6.	What do the other 38 percent want? All of Jerusalem?	22:00	\|	McQueen	20/11/07

7.	#1 Your screen name is sufficient evidence of your antisemitism.	22:02	\|	McQueen	20/11/07

8.	What point is there in polling Gaza?	22:25	\|	Fortuna Benmayor	20/11/07

9.	What are the pals giving up for peace??	23:29	\|	Massoud Levy	20/11/07

10.	Polls is meaningless - Israelis right to life	00:33	\|	Moises	22/11/07

11.	Pals always negative to peace	04:31	\|	cristo	22/11/07

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