Columnist Barry Rubin provides his own analysis of the recent poll by the Pew Foundation regarding Middle Eastern attitudes toward Islamist groups.

The poll claims that 30% of Egyptians support Hizb Allāh, 49% are favorable toward Hamas, and 20% think positively of al-Qā‘idah.

According to Rubin, while these numbers are “more encouraging” than those of Egypt’s neighbors, the results are still foreboding.

”Roughly speaking, one-fifth of Egyptians applaud the most extreme Islamist terrorist group, while around one-third back revolutionary Islamists abroad. This doesn’t tell us what proportion of Egyptians want an Islamist government at home, but it is an indicator,” says Rubin.

He then says these statistics reveal public support for a possible Egyptian Islamist revolution: “So overwhelming is the support for this movement, that there is nothing the West can do except ensure the current governments remain in power.”

In conclusion, Rubin says that the radical Islamists are winning in many Middle Eastern countries, and that “the West is basically asleep in recognizing that threat.”