Five charts to start your day

Do the Arabs view Iran or Israel as the bigger threat?

If you missed it, Iran has carried out a direct assault on Israeli soil for the first time ever. Hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles were fired at Israel by Iran. This follows a direct assault by Israel on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, although Israel has neither confirmed nor denied it.

Bitcoin is down around seven percent, although how this relates to the tension between Iran and Israel, I can’t tell you. But I did find this interesting chart.

This chart is based on an old survey, dating back to 2019. However, it is also the largest survey ever carried out on this topic, with the findings proving to be quite interesting. The Arab Barometer asked ordinary citizens about their views toward both Iran and Israel. On average, around 2,400 interviews were conducted in each country with ordinary citizens.

The sentiment toward Israel is unsurprising, with countries within the Levant and Egypt expressing the most negativity towards Israel. However, the real story lies with Yemen, Iraq and Kuwait, which view Iran as a bigger threat than Israel.

In Yemen, this percentage likely reflects those opposed to the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran. In Iraq, the results are probably driven by sectarian issues and fears that Iran is meddling in Iraq’s internal affairs.

The situation in Kuwait is complex. Sectarian issues may be part of the reason. Fear of invasion, similar to what Iraq experienced, could be another factor. Another issue dates back to when Iraq invaded Kuwait, during which some Palestinians living in Kuwait supported Iraq’s invasion.

Who knows for sure. Sentiment may have changed significantly since Israel’s military operations in Gaza. One thing is clear however, nothing in the Middle East is clear at the moment..

Source: Arab Barometer

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