HindustanTimes.com

Saturday, September 13, 2003

One in three Israelis wants Arafat dead: Poll

Associated Press
Jerusalem, September 12

More than one in three Israelis wants to see Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat killed, according to a public opinion poll published on Friday.
When asked, "What should be done with Arafat?" 37 per cent replied that he
should be "liquidated".

Another 23 per cent opted for expelling Arafat from the Palestinian
territories.

Twenty-one per cent said that they wanted to see Arafat continue to be
penned up by the Israeli army at his headquarters in the West Bank city of
Ramallah.

Only 15 per cent thought he should be given freedom of movement and that
Israel should re-engage with him in a bid to reach a peace deal.

Ironically, even though most respondents favoured tough action against
Arafat, they were split on whether it would make a difference.

Twenty-six per cent actually thought anti-Israeli violence would increase,
while 27 per cent thought the situation would improve.

The poll, by the independent Dahaf Institute, was conducted on Thursday
night, just as the Israeli Security Cabinet was preparing to adopt a
decision in principle to "remove" Arafat.

A statement after the meeting said, "The events of these last few days have
proved again that Yasser Arafat is an absolute obstacle to all attempts at
reconciliation between the Israelis and the Palestinians."

"Israel will act to remove this obstacle in a manner and at a time which
will be decided afterwards," it concluded, without saying if or how it would
act.

The poll, published on Friday by the daily Yediot Aharonot, had a margin of
error of 4.

© Hindustan Times Ltd. 2003.
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