Latest Arabic Web Polls - 21 Aug 2006

Just to reiterate, what I find fascinating about these web polls is not that they give a statistically accurate view of all regional public opinion, but that they highlight the views and biases of those who read these particular websites. While (like many web polls in the US) they frequently ask loaded questions, I found the most interesting ones the times where they actually ask a question that a normally monolithic group is divided on. Those aren't the most common, but they are interesting when they pop up. Anyhow, here's some of the latest Arabic polls (my translations).

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AlJazeera.net

Do you expect Israel to abide by the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon?

Yes - 4.3% - 3196 votes
No - 95.7% - 71846 votes

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AlArabiya.net (Saudi owned, closest competitor to Al-Jazeera, though Jazeera stomped all over them in the media popularity contest that the Lebanon war became)

What's the best scenario for the future of Hizbullah?

Remaining as it is - 61.54%
Changing to an unarmed political party - 19.67%
It's complete disbandment - 18.78%

97566 votes total

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Elaph.net (Saudi owned "liberal" - I use the term loosely)

When do you expect a new war to break out in the region?

After a year - 77% - 3466 votes
After 3 years - 9% - 422 votes
More than 3 years - 14% 618 votes

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Alquds.com (used to be an independent Palestinian daily, now it's more officially connected to the PA and Fatah)

Do you believe that setting up a national unity government [my comment: there's a big attempt right now to form a joint Hamas-Fatah government again to heal internal Palestinian rifts and hopefully get the sanctions on the Palestinian territories lifted, but both sides continue to play hardball] will get the Palestinian people out of the current crisis?

Yes - 42.45% - 537 votes
No - 49.96% - 632 votes
I don't know - 7.59% - 96 votes

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Arabic.CNN.com

Who in your opinion is the victor?

Hizbullah - 75% - 3483 votes
Israel - 9% - 398 votes
Neither of them - 16% 746 votes

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Just a few samples. Al-Quds Al-Arabi (strongly Arab nationalist paper based in London) has a new poll but no significant voters yet. I'll post more another time, and hopefully find some more representative Islamist and Arab nationalist voices.