...This week's European-sponsored poll, showing an overwhelming majority of Palestinians supporting the murder of Christians by Al-Qaeda, comes at a time when US and European financial and political support for the Palestinian Authority is very high and widespread. It seems that if Palestinians have to choose between appreciating the financial and political support of the US and Europe, or hating them because of religion, religion will win.

This commitment to religious teachings among the Palestinian population is consistent with recent findings. In a poll this year, 79.9% of Palestinians want the PA to follow the Shari'a - Islamic religious law (68.6% wanted only Shari'a, while 11.3% wanted both Shari'a and laws of the PA Legislature).
[Palestinian Center for Research and Cultural Dialogue, March 3, 2005]

What is striking, though, is the willingness of Palestinians to turn against even the Western countries upon whom they are so totally dependent in order to progress. The poll underscores what Palestinian Media Watch has been documenting for years - the profoundly negative impact hate education has had on PA society...