Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 13 december 2017
Poll: Over 90 percent of Palestinians oppose Trump move

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) of establishing a Palestin-
— The Palestinians over- ian state, 44 percent called
whelmingly oppose Presi- for armed resistance, while
dent Donald Trump’s rec- just 23 percent believe non-
ognition of Jerusalem as violent resistance is most ef-
Israel’s capital and have fective. Three months ago,
little faith in the U.S. or their only 35 percent supported
Arab allies, according to a armed resistance.
poll released Tuesday. The poll also found wide-
The poll found that 91 per- spread dissatisfaction with
cent of respondents con- Palestinian President Mah-
sider Trump’ declaration moud Abbas,, with 70 per-
last week to be a threat to cent of the public wanting
Palestinian interests. Forty- him to resign.
five percent believe the If new elections were held,
Palestinians should cut all it said that his rival, Hamas
contacts with the U.S., sub- leader Ismail Haniyeh,
mit a complaint to the In- would defeat him by a
ternational Criminal Court 53 percent to 41 percent
and launch an armed up- margin. However, the most
rising against Israel. Palestinian protesters cover from teargas fired by Israeli troops during clashes on the Israeli border popular Palestinian leader
Trump’s declaration de- with Gaza, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra) continues to be Marwan
parted from decades of Barghouti, a former uprising
U.S. policy that the fate of Trump said his decision been shuttling through- they believe the Trump ad- leader serving multiple life
Jerusalem should be de- merely recognizes the fact out the region for nearly a ministration will not submit sentences in an Israeli pris-
cided through negotia- that Jerusalem already year, meeting with Israeli, a peace plan, while just 24 on after being convicted in
tions. The Palestinians claim serves as Israel’s capital Palestinian and Arab lead- percent think it will. Eighty deadly attacks. Barghouti
east Jerusalem, captured and is not meant to pre- ers as it prepares a peace percent of respondents would beat both Abbas
by Israel in the 1967 Mid- judge the final borders of plan. The U.S. is expected said they do not trust the and Haniyeh in a three-way
east war, as the capital of the city. But Palestinians to present its proposal next Saudi role and 70 percent race, according to the poll.
a future independent state. saw the decision as siding year, with a look to taking do not trust Egypt. Egypt The poll, conducted by the
Israel says the entire city, in- with Israel on the most sen- a regional approach that has close security ties with respected Palestinian Cen-
cluding east Jerusalem, is sitive issue in the Israeli-Pal- involves major Sunni Arab Israel, and the Saudis are ter for Policy and Survey
its eternal capital. East Je- estinian conflict. countries, such as Saudi believed to have covert Research, questioned 1,270
rusalem is home to sensitive Trump’s Mideast team, led Arabia and Egypt. ties with Israel in an alliance adults and had a margin
Jewish, Muslim and Chris- by his adviser and son in In Tuesday’s survey, 72 per- against Iran. Asked about of error of 3 percentage
tian holy sites. law, Jared Kushner, have cent of respondents said the most effective means points.q

Bahrain interfaith group pays visit to Israel

By ILAN BEN ZION restaurant overlooking Je- “We have nothing to do
JERUSALEM (AP) — An in- rusalem’s Old City walls with politics,” insisted Ma-
terfaith group from the Gulf for dinner and a candle- thieson, a dual British-Bah-
state of Bahrain is paying lighting ceremony marking rain national who has lived
an unprecedented public the first night of the Jewish in Bahrain for 37 years.
visit to Israel this week, re- holiday of Hanukkah. While But the early results seem
ceiving a warm welcome organizers and participants decidedly mixed.
but generating uproar said the three-day trip was Shortly after the group ar-
across the Arab world. nonpolitical and uncon- rived, it was forced to issue
The visit comes at a time nected to the Bahrain gov- a statement on the state-
when Israel is boasting of ernment, it nonetheless is a run Bahrain News Agency
warming, albeit covert, possible test case for other that it “does not represent
ties with moderate Arab Gulf Arab nations in seeing any official entity” in Bah-
countries in a shared front what could happen if they rain after an uproar erupt-
against archrival Iran. But move toward recognizing ed on social media. People
the heavy criticism un- Israel. “People have been were especially angry that
leashed on Arab social asking us, ‘Oh why have the visit came so close to
media, along with the low you been here now, after Trump’s declaration on Je-
profile the group has taken, there was an announce- rusalem. Throughout their
shows the limits on how far ment made by the White time in Israel, the group,
that goodwill can go. House,’” Betsy Mathieson, about half of whom are
The 25 participants, who president of This is Bahrain, Bahrain citizens and the rest
include Sunni and Shiite told The Associated Press, people of other nationali-
Muslims, as well as Bud- referring to President Don- ties who live in the Gulf na-
dhists, Christians, Hindus ald Trump’s declaration last tion, avoided the spotlight.
and Sikhs, flew to Israel on week that Jerusalem is the Several Bahrainis chose not
Sunday as guests of the Si- capital of Israel. The move to attend Tuesday’s dinner,
mon Wiesenthal Center, a enraged the Palestinians, and those who did either
U.S.-based Jewish human who seek the city’s eastern refused to speak to the AP
rights group. The group half as capital of a future or did so only if they weren’t
gathered Tuesday at a state. identified.q