Survey Finds Little Support for ISIS in Arab Countries

ISIS has very low levels of popular support in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon, even among Sunnis. A new series of polls commissioned by the Washington Institute found that only five percent of respondents in Saudi Arabia, three percent of respondents in Egypt, and one percent of respondents in Lebanon expressed favorable opinions towards ISIS. The shared opposition for ISIS, however, does not translate into support for the United States.  The following slides depict the main findings of the survey and key data points.

Arab Public Opinion and the Fight Against ISIS (English Version) from The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

• Popular support for ISIS is around five percent in Saudi Arabia, three percent in Egypt, and one percent in Lebanon
• Despite low support for ISIS, support for other Islamist movements is much higher. For example, one third of Egyptians and 52 percent of Saudis have a positive view of Hamas.
• Only 12 percent of respondents in Saudi Arabia and Egypt and 25 percent of respondents in Lebanon expressed favorable views of the United States
• Support for the governments of Syria and Iran are also low in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, with favorable opinions around 12-14 percent. In Lebanon, 96-97percent of Shi’ites approve of Syria and Iran, but that number drops to 37-47 percent among Christians and 12-14 percent among Sunnis.
• The poll was conducted by a leading commercial survey firm in the Middle East, and includes a random probability sample of 1,000 adult nationals  in each country

Click here to access the full report.