Palestinians favor Arab peace plan

TEL AVIV, Israel, March 26 (UPI) -- Most Palestinians are satisfied with their new government and favor the peace initiative to be discussed at the forthcoming Arab summit, a poll showed.

The poll, by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, showed that 88 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the national unity government's makeup.

They were divided, however, over the government's failure to accept international demands to recognize Israel, cease violence and abide by past agreements with Israel. Forty-eight percent of the respondents want their government to accept those demands presented by that the Quartet -- the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations. Another 48 percent don't want it to do so.

Arab leaders are due to meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this week to re-launch a 2002 peace initiative that offers Israel peace and normal relations in return for a complete withdrawal to the pre-1967 war lines and a settlement of the refugee issue. The poll showed that 72 percent of the respondents support that initiative.

Sixty-three support, and 35 percent oppose mutual recognition of Israel as the state for the Jewish people and Palestine as the state for the Palestinian people after the establishment of a Palestinian state and the resolution of all issues of conflict, the pollsters noted.

A vast majority supports the cease-fire with Israel in the Gaza Strip and 84 percent of the respondents would like to extend it to the West Bank.