AMMAN — Jordanians
consider the Palestinian issue the biggest issue in the Arab world and the
presence of Israel the greatest threat to the region’s security, a poll by the
Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) found, according to local media outlets.
اضافة اعلان
A “representative
sample” of Jordanians across provinces and education levels were polled from
April 23 to 29. The center published the results among both the national sample
and a smaller group of experts on Wednesday.
A vast majority of
both groups — 87 percent of the national sample and 92 percent of experts —
called the Palestinian issue the most important problem that the Middle East
faces. Only 5 percent of the national sample said that the
Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan was the most important problem, and a similar number chose
regional conflicts in Iraq, Yemen, and Libya.
A plurality of the
national sample, 45 percent, said that “the presence of Israel” was the
greatest regional source of security threats to the Arab world. About a third
said that they did not know, and less than 5 percent chose Iran, and the US.
A smaller
plurality, 33 percent, named Israel’s presence as the greatest global source of
threats to Arab security. Fourteen percent named regional instability and
conflicts, while eleven percent named the US.
The expert sample
was much more hawkish on Israel, with 87 percent naming Israel’s presence the
greatest regional source of security threats, and 76 percent naming it as the
greatest global source. Twelve percent of experts named the US as the greatest
global source of threats to Arab security.
A plurality of
experts, one-third, also argued that Jordanian foreign policy should focus on
resolving the Palestinian issue and preserving the sanctity of
Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif.
Moreover, 46
percent and 58 percent of the expert and national samples, respectively, said
Jordan should reduce relations level with Israel at the current stage, while 39
percent and 26 percent believe that Jordan should maintain the level of current
relations with Tel Aviv, the poll noted.
However, most
Jordanians see America as an ally, according to the poll. A little over half of
national respondents — and a full 81 percent of experts — named the US as Jordan’s
most prominent ally on the global stage.
Experts and the
general population disagreed on the Kingdom’s regional allies. A plurality of
the national sample, 35 percent, named Saudi Arabia as Jordan’s most important
ally in the region. (One-fifth responded “I do not know.) Meanwhile, only 17
percent of experts considered Saudi Arabia the most important regional ally,
while 35 percent chose Egypt.
According to the
CSS survey, 35 percent of the national sample and 55 percent opinion leaders
polled said they rely on TV “most often” to obtain Jordan-related political
news.
In addition, 35 percent and 29 percent of the national and
expert samples, respectively, rely on the Internet to get Jordan-related news,
of whom 99 percent opinion leaders surveyed follow the Kingdom’s foreign
diplomacy news, the survey showed.
Read more National news
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
