Jerusalem Arabs Prefer Israel

March 21, 2011

A public opinion poll, carried out by American Pechter Middle East Polls for the Council on Foreign Relations, showed that if Jerusalem were divided as part of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, east Jerusalem Arabs would prefer to live under Israeli sovereignty.

The poll, which surveyed the residents of east Jerusalem's 19 Arab neighborhoods, showed that the residents are willing to pay a high price in order to carry the blue Israeli identity card: 40% said they would move in order to remain Israeli citizens if their neighborhood was transferred to Palestinian sovereignty. In contrast, only 29% said that if the opposite were to occur and their neighborhood remained under Israel's authority, they would move to an area under Palestinian authority.

In addition to social benefits, those who chose Israeli citizenship most often mentioned freedom of movement in Israel, higher income, and better job opportunities as their primary motivation. Those who chose Palestinian citizenship overwhelmingly cited nationalism and patriotic reasons.

Source: Excerpts of an article by Yitzhak Benhorin, Ynetnews