Development Studies Programme
(Survey # 2: The Palestinian Intifada and the Peace Process)
Headlines: Results Summary
- 74% of Palestinians oppose the participation of children in the confrontations at the barricades.
- The majority of Palestinians (57.8%) support the continuation of the peace process on the basis of international legitimacy and UN resolutions.
- The percentage of those who support military attacks against Israeli targets has increased to 80% in the present poll (compared with about 33% in mid-March 1995, and 44% in early August 1998). Of those who support military attacks, 41% support attacks directed against all Israeli targets, while 38% support limiting them against settlers and military targets. Opposition to military attacks against Israeli civilians living within Israel is 60%, while it is 45% in Gaza.
- Only 4% gave a positive evaluation of the outcome of the Arab Summit held in Cairo, while 67.5% evaluated it negatively, and 23% evaluated it as neutral.
- 75% support the continuation of the current Intifada, and 68% believe that the main goal is liberation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
- 45.8% evaluate the performance of President Arafat positively, while 17.8% evaluate it negatively, and 33% consider it medium.
- 73% support military operations against American targets in the region.
- 78% of the Palestinians believe that an independent state will be established sooner or later.
- 57% gave a positive evaluation of the stands taken by Arab peoples, while 18% evaluated them negatively, and 23% evaluated them as medium.
Other Findings
- 39% support the continuation of the negotiations under the sponsorship of the UN, while only 3.2% support that they remain under the sponsorship of the USA.
- The majority (51%) believe that the peace process that started in 1993 will not lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, compared with 33% in February of 1995.
- One-third of the Palestinians believe that there is a possibility for co-existence with the Israelis once a Palestinian state is established.
- The great majority of Palestinians consider that there is no possibility for peace without Jerusalem as the capital of the independent Palestinian state or without securing the right of refugees to return.
- 44% believe that the right of return can be implemented in full, while 44% do not believe so.
- 85% of the Palestinians consider Ehud Barak to be a Prime Minister who is not qualified to negotiate with the Palestinians.
- An increase in support for the declaration of a state from 55% (end of August 2000) to 71%, despite Israeli and American opposition.
- 45% believe that living conditions have regressed in the wake of the peace process, while 41% believe they have not changed, and only 14% consider that living conditions have improved.
- The recent siege led to the deterioration of living conditions for 86% of the Palestinians and 85% felt their children experienced psychological trauma.
- 31% evaluate the performance of the PNA, in political terms, positively, while 36% evaluate it as medium, and 27.5% evaluate it negatively. A higher percentage of the educated evaluated the PNA negatively.
- The survey found a positive evaluation of the role of the security forces (46.8%), of the political parties (58.9%), and the NGOs (41.7%) during the Intifada. The Palestinian media gets the best evaluation among all institutions (80%).
- The majority (57%) believe that the leadership of Palestinian society is capable of leading Palestinians to better conditions, while the majority of the educated do not believe so.
- 51% believe that the PNA respects the opinion of the public, while 59% believe that the PNA does not inform the public of what is taking place in the political arena.
- 30% believe that the Intifada will continue for months, while 25% believe it will continue for years.
- 24% support peaceful means of demonstrating for continuing the Intifada, 39% support both peaceful and military means, and 32% support mainly military means.
- 20% feel secure about the future of coming generations, compared to 50% at the end of August 2000.
- The great majority of Palestinians want a state based on equality and the rule of law.
- 93% support the establishment of a national unity government that includes all political factions.
- 56% believe in the need to hold new Palestinian presidential and legislative elections.
- If elections were held today, most Palestinians are undecided for whom they would vote for, or whether they will take part in the elections at all (48%). As for those who would vote (52%), President Arafat would still get the highest percentage of votes (30%) (without any significant change from the percentage he received in earlier polls conducted before the start of the Intifada), Ahmad Yassin got 12%, and Haidar Abdul-Shafi 10%.
- The percentage of Hamas supporters went up, especially in the Gaza Strip. 45% do not support any of the factions.
Development Studies Programme: Survey #2 - Main Page