An interesting opinion poll of Palestinian refugees gives some hope on this intractable issue.
In a broad, detailed survey, Dr. Shikaki’s [director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research] researchers questioned 4,500 refugee families living in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Jordan and Lebanon. More than 95 percent of them insisted that Israel recognize a right of return, accepting their position in principle, he said.
The researchers then presented five options, like financial compensation and moving to a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. The options were based on those negotiated but never formally endorsed by Israeli and Palestinian officials in January 2001, and they assumed that Israel recognized a right of return.
Only 10 percent demanded permanent residence in Israel, a proportion that decreased if the refugees were told that they would have to take Israeli citizenship or that their old homes were gone.
More than half —- a total of 54 percent —- said they would accept compensation and homes in the West Bank and Gaza, or in land ceded by Israel in a swap for West Bank land, Dr. Shikaki said. Others said they would elect to stay in their host country or go to another country. Thirteen percent rejected any deal at all.
The survey had a margin of error of less than three percentage points, Dr. Shikaki said. It did not encompass the roughly 10 percent of Palestinian refugees who live in Syria, where researchers generally face government restrictions.
The bad news:
A mob attacked an eminent Palestinian political scientist [Dr. Shikaki] today as he prepared to announce a striking finding from a regionwide survey of Palestinian refugees.
You may be interested in what I’ve written about this on my blog. As far as the riot is concerned, it was obviously pre-planned (the rioters apparently came with a press release) and very likely has Arafat’s fingerprints.
Thanks, Jonathan. Your post is definitely much better than mine.