E. Jerusalem Arabs split on where to live

JERUSALEM, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Most East Jerusalem Arabs indicated they would not move if their neighborhoods became part of a Palestinian state, a poll released Thursday indicated.

Thirty-five percent of participants said they were willing to move if their neighborhoods were absorbed into a future Palestinian state, while 54 percent of respondents said they would stay put, Haaretz reported.

Thirty percent said they preferred Palestinian citizenship to Israeli, Haaretz reported, while 35 percent of participants said they preferred Israeli citizenship and an equal 35 percent expressed no preference or declined to answer.

When asked if they would move to a different location inside Israel should their neighborhood become part of Palestine, 40 percent of respondents said they likely would move to Israel, while 37 percent said they will not move. Twenty-seven percent said they likely would move to Palestine if their neighborhood became part of Israel.

The survey was conducted by Pechter Middle East Polls, based in Washington, in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations. Information about when the poll was conducted, sample size and margin of error was not given.