Zogby Poll: Iranian People Say Israel Should Not Exist; Want Nuke Weapons
Jim Kouri, CPP
July 14, 2006
United States intelligence officials believe that the current crisis in the Middle East, that began with incursions into Israel and abductions of soldiers followed by terrorist attacks against the Israeli people, is being fomented by Iran.
The hatred of the Jewish State is no where more evident than in Iran with rhetoric reminiscent of the dark days of Hitler's rise to power. Meanwhile there are a number of so-called experts, such as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who continue to tell the American people and the world that while the Iranian government despises Israelis, the people of Iran don't share those views of hatred and ill-will.
Unfortunately, the truth is the Iranian people share their leaders' hatred for the Jews, according to a recent survey conducted by a polling company owned by an Arab-American, who was allowed access to the Iranian population.
Iranians showed almost total agreement, regardless of age or gender; when asked if the state of Israel is illegitimate and should not exist, 67% agreed and only 9% disagreed, according to the Zogby International poll.
Also, a majority (64%) said they would be willing to suffer through a bad economy if that were the price the country had to pay to develop its nuclear program. Also, 25% said they would blame the United States if the United Nations imposed nuclear-related sanctions, although nearly 40% said they were not sure whom to blame. Only one in six would blame Iran's own government. If their country were to develop nuclear weapons, 25% said it would make the Middle East a safer place, but 35% disagreed with that statement.
Despite tensions between the United States and Iran, most Iranians -- nearly two-thirds -- said they don't believe that the two countries will go to war in the next decade. Iranian men were more interested than women in making the economy work better. Among men, 47% said the economy should be a top government priority, while just 33% of women agreed. The older the respondent, the less important they considered development of a nuclear arsenal.
When it came to their view of the United States, there was a split between the generations. Older Iranians were much more likely to admire the American people and society than younger Iranians. John Zogby, President and CEO of Zogby International, hypothesized that this generational split may be due in part to the lack of exposure to Americans over the past two decades.
Younger and older Iranians would favor a more conservative, religious society, while those aged 30-49 said they would favor a more liberal, secular culture. What is striking is that just 15% said Iranian culture should stay just the way it is right now. Women were more likely than men to say they wanted a more liberal, secular society.
Among those Iranians with Internet access, 41% said they wanted a more religious culture, compared to 33% who said they wanted a more secular society.
The attitudes of younger Iranians toward the government, people and policies of the United States have been shaped by years of isolation, largely conservative religious leadership, and anti-US rhetoric. This group is consistently more negative in its attitudes towards Americans and the American government than are older Iranians. However, new technology, including satellite television and the Internet, could be used as tools that connect young Iranians with other nations in the region, and the West, according to Zogby.
Those technologies -- Internet access and satellite TV ownership -- appeared to influence attitudes among Iranians, as did gender. Iranians with access to the Internet or satellite TV were significantly more likely than their "unconnected" compatriots to identify the United States as the country they admire the most.
They were also significantly less likely to pick the US government as the one they admire the least: one in three Iranians without Internet access (34%) chose the United States as least admired, compared with fewer than one in five Iranians with Internet access (18%), the poll shows.
The American government also appeared to attract more admiration from Iranians who favor a more secular or liberal direction for Iran.
The hatred of the Jewish State is no where more evident than in Iran with rhetoric reminiscent of the dark days of Hitler's rise to power. Meanwhile there are a number of so-called experts, such as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who continue to tell the American people and the world that while the Iranian government despises Israelis, the people of Iran don't share those views of hatred and ill-will.
Unfortunately, the truth is the Iranian people share their leaders' hatred for the Jews, according to a recent survey conducted by a polling company owned by an Arab-American, who was allowed access to the Iranian population.
Iranians showed almost total agreement, regardless of age or gender; when asked if the state of Israel is illegitimate and should not exist, 67% agreed and only 9% disagreed, according to the Zogby International poll.
Also, a majority (64%) said they would be willing to suffer through a bad economy if that were the price the country had to pay to develop its nuclear program. Also, 25% said they would blame the United States if the United Nations imposed nuclear-related sanctions, although nearly 40% said they were not sure whom to blame. Only one in six would blame Iran's own government. If their country were to develop nuclear weapons, 25% said it would make the Middle East a safer place, but 35% disagreed with that statement.
Despite tensions between the United States and Iran, most Iranians -- nearly two-thirds -- said they don't believe that the two countries will go to war in the next decade. Iranian men were more interested than women in making the economy work better. Among men, 47% said the economy should be a top government priority, while just 33% of women agreed. The older the respondent, the less important they considered development of a nuclear arsenal.
When it came to their view of the United States, there was a split between the generations. Older Iranians were much more likely to admire the American people and society than younger Iranians. John Zogby, President and CEO of Zogby International, hypothesized that this generational split may be due in part to the lack of exposure to Americans over the past two decades.
Younger and older Iranians would favor a more conservative, religious society, while those aged 30-49 said they would favor a more liberal, secular culture. What is striking is that just 15% said Iranian culture should stay just the way it is right now. Women were more likely than men to say they wanted a more liberal, secular society.
Among those Iranians with Internet access, 41% said they wanted a more religious culture, compared to 33% who said they wanted a more secular society.
The attitudes of younger Iranians toward the government, people and policies of the United States have been shaped by years of isolation, largely conservative religious leadership, and anti-US rhetoric. This group is consistently more negative in its attitudes towards Americans and the American government than are older Iranians. However, new technology, including satellite television and the Internet, could be used as tools that connect young Iranians with other nations in the region, and the West, according to Zogby.
Those technologies -- Internet access and satellite TV ownership -- appeared to influence attitudes among Iranians, as did gender. Iranians with access to the Internet or satellite TV were significantly more likely than their "unconnected" compatriots to identify the United States as the country they admire the most.
They were also significantly less likely to pick the US government as the one they admire the least: one in three Iranians without Internet access (34%) chose the United States as least admired, compared with fewer than one in five Iranians with Internet access (18%), the poll shows.
The American government also appeared to attract more admiration from Iranians who favor a more secular or liberal direction for Iran.
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