[Marxism] Survey: Nasrallah is the most admired leader in the Arab world

[Eli Stephens <elishastephens@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

URL: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/975572.html

  Survey: Nasrallah is the most admired leader in the Arab world

By Haaretz Service

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Nassan Nasrallah is the most admired leader in the Arab 
world, according to a poll released recently by the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace 
and Development at the University of Maryland.

Nasrallah seems to be gaining in popularity, with some 26 percent of 
respondents 
voicing support for him. Syrian President Bashar Assad also won an increase in 
popularity, according to the poll.

The survey also found that the majority of Arab public - in contrast to their 
governments - does not view Iran as a major threat. Respondents said they 
believe Iran should be free to pursue its nuclear program and are opposed to 
international pressure to halt development. Some 44 percent of respondents said 
the outcome of a nuclear Iran would be beneficial for the region.

The poll found an increased interest within the Arab world regarding the 
Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with some 86 percent of respondents calling it 
one 
of the top three most important issues facing the refion.

A majority of respondents support a two-state solution based on 1967 borders 
but 
an increasing number voiced pessimism about its prospects.

Some 50 percent of respondents believe that the failure of a two-state solution 
would lead to continued conflict, 9 percent believe it would eventually lead to 
a one-state solution and 7 percent think the Palestinian will eventually 
surrender to Israel.

The survery also found that 18 percent of Arab respondents sympathize with 
Hamas 
over Fatah, while 38 percent voiced equal sympathy for the rival factions. Some 
15 percent of respondents blame Hamas for the situation in Gaza, while 23 
percent believe Fatah is to blame.

Some 83 percent of respondents, meanwhile, voiced an unfavorable view of the 
United States, while 70 percent express no confidence in the American 
government. Most Arabs, however, ranked the U.S. as among the leaders of 
freedom 
and democracy.

The poll found that 32 percent of Arabs believe that America's Middle East 
policy will remain the same regardless of who wins the coming elections. Some 
18 
percent of respondents think Barack Obama has the best chance of bringing peace 
to the region, while 13 percent favor Hillary Clinton. Another 4 percent think 
McCain is the best candidate to advance Middle East peace.


_________________________________________________________________
Use video conversation to talk face-to-face with Windows Live Messenger.
http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/connect_your_way.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_messenger_video_042008
________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: 
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40archives.econ.utah.edu