Hezbollah support waning, poll finds

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Support for Hezbollah among the Shiite population in Lebanon is overwhelming, though broad support in the Middle East is dwindling, a poll suggests.

A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project found limited support for Hezbollah outside the Shiite demographic.

The survey of 1,000 adult Lebanese found 97 percent of the Shiite community favored Hezbollah, while only 18 percent of Christians and 2 percent of Sunnis expressed similar views.

Outside of Lebanon, the poll found most Palestinians and Jordanians had a favorable opinion of Hezbollah. In Turkey, however, only 3 percent of those surveyed expressed support for the group.

In Israel, meanwhile, 27 percent of the Arabs surveyed said they had viewed Hezbollah in a positive fashion, compared with just 21 expressing support for Hamas.

Hezbollah emerged from a 2006 war with Israel with substantial influence in the Shiite community. The resistance movement gained political influence in 2009, meanwhile, emerging from June parliamentary elections in Lebanon with two Cabinet portfolios.

The survey polled 1,000 adults in their respective countries using face-to-face interviews. The poll cited a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.