JMCC Public Opinion Poll No. 5
On Palestinian Attitudes to the PLO-ISRAELI Agreement
July 1994
in cooperation with MBC
A random sample of 1,920 Palestinians, over the age of 18 years, were interviewed throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip on 15/16/17 July 1994. The interviews were conducted on a face-to-face basis with people who visited general service offices to fill out application forms for their identity cards, travel documents, birth registrations, etc, in the main towns. The interviewers reported that some people filled out their questionnaire by themselves in the presence of the interviewer.
In the West Bank, 1,246 questionnaires were collected from the following major towns: Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqilia, Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Jericho. In the Gaza Strip, 674questionnaired were received from: Gaza, Khan Younis, Rafah, Deir Al-Balah, Beit Hanoun, Jabalia and the Central Refugee Camp areas.
The major of error is plus or minus 3% with a confidence level of 95%.
Q.1 Have you already looked at the Cairo Agreement (Gaza - Jericho First)?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Yes |
67.9% |
68.4% |
67.0% |
| No |
30.2% |
29.5% |
31.4% |
| No answer |
1.9% |
2.1% |
1.6% |
Q.2 The Cairo Agreement between the PLO and Israel provides limited autonomy for the Palestinian in the Gaza and Jericho areas. Do you personally welcome this agreement?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip | |
| Yes |
57.8% |
56.2% |
60.8% |
| No |
37.8% |
38.7% |
36.8% |
| No answer |
4.4% |
5.1% |
3.1% |
Q.3 Two months after the implementation of the Cairo Agreement, would you say that you are optimistic or pessimistic regarding the future of the Palestinians?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Optimistic |
53.2% |
55.2% |
53.9% |
| Pessimistic |
31.7% |
38.7% |
30.0% |
| No answer |
14.9% |
14.5% |
16.1% |
Q. 4 What is your opinion in regard to the Cairo Agreement, would you say you support it, or oppose it?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Support it |
56.5% |
55.2% |
58.7% |
| Oppose it |
34.5% |
34.6% |
35.5% |
| No answer |
9.0% |
10.2% |
6.8% |
Q.5 If you support the peace process in principle, would you say that the Cairo Agreement...
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Increased your support |
34.3% |
33.3% |
36.1% |
| Reduced your support |
13.8% |
14.0% |
13.2% |
| Did not effect your position |
28.4% |
27.8% |
29.4% |
| I have never been a supporter of the peace process |
18.5% |
19.1% |
17.5% |
| No answer |
5.0% |
5.8% |
3.7% |
Q.6 Taking the latest developments into consideration, how has your attitude towards the PLO changed?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| My support of the PLO increased |
34.8% |
33.9% |
36.4% |
| My support of the PLO declined |
18.1% |
19.3% |
15.8% |
| My support of the PLO did not change |
41.1% |
40.4% |
42.3% |
| No answer |
6.0%% |
6.3% |
5.5% |
Q. 7 After having assumed power in the autonomous areas of the Gaza Strip and the Jericho areas, what do you think? Does the PLO exercise authority in a:
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Good way |
52.8% |
49.9% |
58.2% |
| Bad way |
21.4% |
20.6% |
22.9% |
| No answer |
25.8% |
29.5% |
18.9% |
Q. 8 Which of the following factions do you support?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Fateh |
40.9% |
42.2% |
38.5% |
| Hamas |
10.8% |
9.2% |
13.5% |
| PFLP |
6.9% |
5.9% |
8.8% |
| Palestinian People's Party |
4.0% |
4.3% |
3.4% |
| Jihad Movement |
3.2% |
2.8% |
4.0% |
| FIDA |
2.4% |
2.3% |
2.5% |
| DFLP |
2.2% |
2.3% |
1.9% |
| Independent |
16.8% |
17.7% |
15.0% |
| No answer |
12.9% |
13.2% |
12.3% |
Q. 9 Would you say that the return of Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian leadership...
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| made you more confident and optimistic of the future |
55.1% |
51.4% |
62.1% |
| Made you more anxious and pessimistic of the future; or |
13.9% |
16.7% |
8.5% |
| Did not change your feelings in regard to the future at all |
31.0% |
31.9% |
29.4% |
Q. 10 Currently, there are negotiations to implement the self-rule experience to the rest of the West Bank. Would you support a similar agreement for the West Bank or would you oppose it?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Support it |
70.2% |
68.5% |
73.1% |
| Oppose it |
21.1% |
21.8% |
19.9% |
| No answer |
8.7% |
9.7% |
7.0% |
I will read a few statements about the agreements between Israel and the PLO. Please tell me if you agree or disagree with each statement.
Q. 11 The PLO should try to make agreements with Israel, even if such agreements bring slight changes:
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Agree |
59.2% |
56.0% |
65.2% |
| Disagree |
36.4% |
39.1% |
31.4% |
| No answer/No opinion |
4.4% |
4.9% |
3.4% |
Q. 12 The PLO should try to make agreements with Israel, even if some key issues, like Jerusalem, are negotiated later:
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Agree |
30.8% |
27.2% |
37.4% |
| Disagree |
64.5% |
67.6% |
58.8% |
| No answer/ No opinion |
4.7% |
4.7% |
3.8% |
Q. 13 The PLO should not make any agreement with Israel at all:
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Agree |
26.9% |
26.1% |
28.2% |
| Disagree |
65.3% |
66.0% |
64.0% |
| No answer/ No opinion |
7.8% |
7.9% |
7.8% |
Judging from his speeches, statements, and actions, what is your opinion on the seriousness of Yasser Arafat in the following issues:
Q. 14 Prisoners
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Serious |
63.2% |
62.4% |
64.6% |
| Not serious |
39.1% |
28.7% |
29.9% |
| No answer/ No opinion |
7.7% |
8.9% |
5.5% |
Q. 15 Jerusalem
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Serious |
43.7% |
44.9% |
51.6% |
| Not serious |
41.2% |
42.6% |
38.6% |
| No answer/ No opinion |
11.5% |
12.5% |
9.8% |
Q.16 Refugee
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Serious |
46.5% |
45.4% |
48.4% |
| Not serious |
39.9% |
40.6% |
38.6% |
| No answer/ No opinion |
13.6% |
14.0% |
12.9% |
Q. 17 Economy
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Serious |
57.3% |
61.5% |
49.6% |
| Not serious |
26.4% |
23.9% |
31.1% |
| No answer/ No opinion |
16.3% |
14.6% |
19.3% |
What is your opinion in regard to the performance and effectiveness of the following new agencies:
Q. 18 Palestinian Council
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Good |
45.4% |
42.2% |
51.4% |
| Bad |
22.0% |
22.0% |
22.1% |
| No answer/ No opinion |
32.6% |
35.8% |
26.4% |
Q.19 Palestinian Police
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Good |
71.9% |
67.3% |
80.2% |
| Bad |
12.8% |
13.6% |
11.3% |
| No answer/ No opinion |
15.3% |
19.0% |
8.5% |
Q. 20 Preventive Security Service
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Good |
43.2% |
41.8% |
45.9% |
| Bad |
26.7% |
26.9% |
26.4% |
| No answer/ No opinion |
30.0% |
31.3% |
27.7% |
Q. 21 PECDAR
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Good |
30.7% |
33.3% |
24.1% |
| Bad |
22.9% |
19.1% |
29.9% |
| No answer/ No opinion |
46.4% |
46.6% |
46.0% |