(Jpost).While support for America's leaders has risen markedly throughout the Arab world with the coming of a new American administration, it has actually declined among Palestinians, a Gallup poll published Monday has found.
Indeed, among Palestinians and Lebanese, it has taken a turn for the worse from the Bush administration to the Obama administration, dropping by 3% in Lebanon (25% in May 2008 to 22% in March 2009) and 6% among West Bank Arabs (13% in August 2008 to just 7%).
It is unclear if this drop is the result of these Arab populations' concerns over Israel's January 2009 Operation Cast Lead, which enjoyed American political support and silence from then-president-elect Obama, or if it is related to the profound culture wars taking place in these two societies between radical Muslim forces and relative moderates or even liberals.
Gallup researchers noted that while approval dropped into the single digits, disapproval "remained steady at about 80%... It's important to note that when Gallup asked Palestinians in 2008 whether it would make a difference who was elected president of the United States, a substantial majority (72%) said it would not," they wrote.
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