East European public opinion is overwhelmingly in favor of Israel in the current Arab-Israeli crisis, in striking contrast to the official strong anti-Israel position taken by all East European Governments except Rumania, the European office of the American Jewish Committee reported here today.
A survey of attitudes of several hundred East Europeans from Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Rumania visiting West Europe during June and July–carried out by responsible public opinion research institutes–revealed a widespread pro-Israel popular feeling closely paralleling public sentiment in Western Europe, the American Jewish Committee affirmed. The little support there was in Eastern Europe for the Arabs came mainly from members of the Communist parties with one significant exception–Rumania, the AJC continued. It added that Rumanian Communists reacted differently, tending toward a pro-Israel or neutral stand.
The interviews with the Eastern European visitors were conducted in the Western European countries. Those interviewed included 208 Hungarians, 179 Poles, 112 Czechs and Slovaks, and 78 Rumanians. The interviewees were by and large persons of larger cities, well educated and belonging predominantly to white-collar and higher occupational groups. With a few exceptions they were staying in the West temporarily and have already returned to Eastern Europe.
From 57 to 65 percent of the Eastern Europeans interviewed indicated a pro-Israel attitude in replying to the question “Where do your sympathies lie in the Arab-Israeli conflict?” The reply “With the Israelis” came from 57 percent of the Czechs, 65 percent of the Hungarians, 58 percent of the Poles and 59 percent of the Rumanians.
Favoring the Arabs were 13 percent of the Czechs, 9 percent of the Hungarians, 13 percent of the Poles and 10 percent of the Rumanians. Those expressing neutrality were percentages of 22, 19, 19 and 21 respectively by Czechs, Hungarians, Poles and Rumanians. Those not answering were, in the same order, 8, 7, 10 and 10.
The pro-Israel percentages compare favorably with those found in Western Europe, where the figures were 53 percent as compared with 58 percent for Eastern Europe as a whole. Pro-Arab percentages for Western Europe were 8 percent, and for Eastern Europe 12 percent. Those indicating a neutral stand or refusing to answer the question were 39 percent for Western Europe and 30 percent for Eastern Europe.
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