Five Australian community groups commissioned social research on Australian attitudes to Palestine and Israel in March 2017, following up on similar previous polls in 2014, 2011 and 2009. The poll was conducted by Roy Morgan Research. The participating organisations were:
- Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN)
- Australian Friends of Palestine Association (AFOPA)
- Australians For Palestine
- Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine (CJPP)
- Friends of Bethlehem (NSW)
APAN issued a media release on 31 March 2017 announcing the poll results. APAN President, Bishop George Browning said:
“Australians might not feel particularly well-informed about the conflict but they’re not stupid,” noted Bishop George Browning, the President of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network.
“They understand that colonising someone else’s country is always wrong. They support the United Nations in its opposition to Israeli settlements. They also understand that recognising Palestinian statehood and boycotting institutions that profit from the Occupation are both reasonable and non-violent means of promoting a peaceful solution to the conflict...
“The poll indicates that the Australian public is way out in front of the major parties on the issue of Palestine,” noted Browning. “In this regard, politicians need to listen more to their constituents and less to Australia’s Israel lobby in formulating policy.”
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Photo above: A Palestinian woman reacts as she sits next to the rubble of her house after it was demolished by the Israeli army as it did not have an Israeli-issued construction permit, in the West Bank city of Hebron March 6, 2017. [REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma]
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