American Public Opinion Polls: Attitudes Toward Yasser Arafat
Next, I'd like to get your overall opinion of some people who were in the news this year. As I read each name, please say if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of this person — or if you have never heard of him or her....Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. (Gallup)
1/6-8/94* | 12/4-6/98 | 12/28-29/98 | 5/7-9/99 | 7/6-9/00 | 10/25-28/00 | 2/5-6/02 | 5/20-22/02 | |
| Favorable | 23% | 24% | 35% | 26% | 27% | 18% | 17% | 7% |
| Unfavorable | 52% | 47% | 45% | 44% | 45% | 64% | 73% | 80% |
| Never heard of | 8% | 9% | 5% | 6% | 8% | 6% | 3% | 3% |
| No Opinion | 17% | 20% | 15% | 24% | 20% | 12% | 7% | 10% |
* Asked as PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat
Which of the following statements is closest to your own view? (Source: ADL, December 2003)
| The Palestinians and their leader Yasser Arafat are genuinely interested in reaching a long-term peace agreement with Israel | 25% |
| The real goal of Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian leadership is to destroy Israel | 57% |
Which of the following statements is closest to your own view? (Source: ADL, December 2003)
| The U.S. and Israeli government are correct in their decision to stop dealing with Yasser Arafat because he has refused or been unable to stop the terror attacks against Israel. | 59% |
| Yasser Arafat is the duly elected leader of the Palestinian people -- the U.S. and Israel have no choice but to deal with him. | 27% |
Do you have a favorable or unfavorable impression of: (Source: ADL, December 2003)
| Favorable | Unfavorable | |
| President W. Bush | 59% | 36% |
| Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon | 36% | 31% |
| PA Chairman Yasser Arafat | 9% | 66% |
As you may know, U.S. policy says that anyone who harbors terrorists will be treated as an enemy of the United States. Do you think that policy should or should not apply to Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat? (Gallup/CNN/USA Today, April 3, 2002)
| Yes, should apply | 77% |
| No, should not | 16% |
| No Opinion | 7% |
Would you describe Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat as an enemy of the United States, or not? (Gallup/CNN/USA Today, April 5-7, 2002)
| Yes, enemy | 59% |
| No, not enemy | 34% |
| No Opinion | 7% |
What should the Israelis do with Yasser Arafat -- [ROTATED: kill him, send him into exile, or let him go]? (Gallup/CNN/USA Today, April 3, 2002)
| Kill him | 12% |
| Send him into exile | 52% |
| Let him go | 22% |
| No Opinion | 7% |
I'm going to read you the names of several public figures and groups, and I'd like you to rate your feelings toward each one as either very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative, or very negative. If you don't know the name, please just say so. Yasser Arafat? (Wall Street Journal/NBC News, December 8-10, 2001)
| Very Positive | 2% |
| Somewhat Positive | 7% |
| Neutral | 20% |
| Somewhat Negative | 19% |
| Very Negative | 41% |
| Don't know | 11% |
From what you've seen or heard in the news, do you think Arafat has the ability to control extremist Palestinian groups, like those responsible for the recent violence, or not? (Newsweek, December 6-7, 2001)
| Yes, can control | 29% |
| No, cannot | 63% |
| Don't know | 8% |
Recently, President Bush said he wants to send a clear signal to PLO Leader Yassir Arafat to end the Palestinian violence against the Israelis. He ha refused to meet with Arfat and has said that Israel cannot be expected to negotiate under the threat of terrorism. What is your reaction to these statements and this policy? Do you... this specific effort by President Bush? (Luntz, 2001 Republican Jewish Coalition Survey, November 2001)
| Approve | 79% |
| Oppose | 14% |
| Don't know/Refused | 7% |
Do you believe that after the World Trade Center terrorist attack [9/11/01], if the United States forced Israel to give up territory to Yasser Arafat for a Palestinian state including the dividing of Jerusalem, that it would end terrorism against the United States, or would it encourage terrorism by rewarding those who support terrorism like Arafat? (New Atlantic Initiative/Chicago Sun Times, Oct. 15, 2001)
| End terrorism | 10% |
| Encourage terrorism | 62% |
| DK/Refused | 29% |
Are you familiar with Yasser Arafat? IF YES: Are you very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or very unfavorable toward him? (Penn, Schoen & Berland Inc., and First International Resources Inc., January 25 and February 17, 2001)
General Public | Elites | American Jews | Influential Americans | |
| Unfamiliar | 12% | 6% | 3% | 0% |
| Very favorable | 4% | 7% | 4% | 0% |
| Somewhat favorable | 24% | 18% | 11% | 0% |
| Somewhat unfavorable | 29% | 36% | 27% | 0% |
| Very unfavorable | 25% | 27% | 53% | 0% |
| Don't know | 6% | 6% | 2% | 0% |
Yasser Arafat was once a terrorist leader - and at heart, he hasn't really changed his ways. He still wants to push the Jews out of Israel. Do you strongly agree with this statement, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree with this statement? (Penn, Schoen & Berland Inc., and First International Resources Inc., January 25 and February 17, 2001)
| General Public | Elites | American Jews | Influential Americans | |
| Strongly agree | 35% | 29% | 58% | 0% |
| Somewhat agree | 25% | 31% | 19% | 0% |
| Somewhat disagree | 23% | 27% | 13% | 0% |
| Strongly disagree | 10% | 9% | 6% | 0% |
| Don't know | 7% | 4% | 4% | 0% |
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