JMCC Public Opinion Poll No. 10
On Palestinian Attitudes Towards the Taba Agreement and the
PNA's Assumption of Authority over West Bank Towns
October 1995
in cooperation with
Al-Hayat Newspaper - London
JMCC conducted an opinion poll on the attitude of Palestinians towards the Taba Agreement (Oslo 2). The poll was conducted on the 6th and 7th of October 1995 in the West Bank including Jerusalem and in the Gaza Strip.
The poll showes over whelming support for the peace process and the Taba Agreement. Support for the opposition is declining, and the majority of the opponents of the peace process feel that the opposition, in general, is either impracticl or its approach is vague.
A random sample of 1,273 Palestinians, over the age of 18 years, were interviewed face-to-face throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip on 6-7 October 1995. The interviews were conducted on randomly selected homes, and the subjects inside each home were also selected randomly according to Kish tables. The interviews were conducted in 53 sampling points chosen randomly according to population.
In the West Bank, 972 people were surveyed from the following areas: Jerusalem, Al-Ram, Dahiet Al-Bareed, Ramallah, Al-Bireh, Beit Rima, N'ileen, Ein Yabroud, Jericho, Housan, Bethlehem, Deiheishe Refugee camp, Za'atara, Al-Thahrieh, Hebron, Al-Fawar Refugee Camp, Doura, S'eir, Halhoul, Jenin Refugee Camp, Toubas, Jenin, Kufur Ra'ei, Seilat Al-Thaher, Al-Yamoun, Al-Zababdeh, Nablus, Balta Refugee Camp, Aqraba, Beita, Kufur Kaddoum, Tulkarem, Jinsafout, Salfeet, Qalqilia.
In the Gaza Strip, 346 people were surveyed from: Gaza, Rafah, Jabaliah, Deir Albalah, Beit Lahia, Khan Younis Refugee Camp, Rafah Refugee Camp, Deir Albalah Refugee Camp, Jabalia Refugee Camp.
The major of error is plus or minus 3% with a confidence level of 95%.
Q.1 After signing the Interim Phase Agreement in Washington last week, how optimistic are you about the future in general? Would you say you are very optimistic, somehow optimistic, pessimistic, or very pessimistic?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Very optimistic |
25.5% |
25.8% |
24.9% |
| Somehow optimistic |
48.4% |
48.2% |
49.4% |
| Pessimistic |
14.7% |
15.5% |
12.7% |
| Very Pessimistic |
7.5% |
6.5% |
10.1% |
| No opinion |
3.9% |
4.0% |
2.9% |
Q.2 Upon the Palestinian Authority's assumption of responsibility in the West Bank, would you say that your feeling of security, in general, would be better, worse, or would you say that your feeling of security will not change?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip | |
| Better |
62.3% |
66.8% |
50.9% |
| Worse |
11.2% |
11.0% |
11.8% |
| Will not change |
21.2% |
17.2% |
32.1% |
| Other |
1.3% |
1.3% |
1.2% |
| No opinion |
4.0% |
3.7% |
4.0% |
Q.3 To what extent would you say that the Taba Agreement is a step toward the realization of the aspiration of the Palestinian people in establishing their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| A step towards the full realization of Palestinian aspirations |
14.7% |
15.1% |
13.6% |
| A step towards the realization of some of the Palestinian aspirations |
54.6% |
53.9% |
56.9% |
| This agreement strengthens the occupation |
19.1% |
19.1% |
19.1% |
| No opinion |
11.6% |
11.9% |
10.4% |
Q. 4 To what extent would you say you support or oppose the agreement reached between the PA and Israel over the Interim Phase? Would you say you strongly support, you cautiously support it, or would you say you totally oppose it?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Strongly support |
23.7% |
24.7% |
21.4% |
| Cautiously support |
41.9% |
42.7% |
40.2% |
| Totally oppose |
16.4% |
16.1% |
17.1% |
| I don't know the provisions of the agreement |
12.9% |
11.7% |
16.2% |
| No opinion |
5.1% |
4.8% |
5.1% |
Q.5 How do you evaluate the performance of the PNA after one year of its work? Would you say its performance is good, fair, or poor?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Good |
37.1% |
35.0% |
43.1% |
| Fair |
38.0% |
39.6% |
34.1% |
| Poor |
15.0% |
14.3% |
16.5% |
| Other |
1.5% |
1.6% |
1.2% |
| No opinion |
8.4% |
9.5% |
5.1% |
Q.6 Do you think that president Arafat is carrying out his work as the head of the PNA in a good, average, or bad way?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Good |
51.4% |
49.9% |
55.8% |
| Average |
25.9% |
26.8% |
23.7% |
| Bad |
11.8% |
13.2% |
8.4% |
| No opinion |
10.9% |
10.1% |
12.1% |
Q. 7 After the passage of a year since the return of president Arafat and his assumption of the leadership of the PNA, has your support increased, decreased, not changed, or did you never support him?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| My support increased |
32.0% |
31.1% |
34.7% |
| My support declined |
10.4% |
12.5% |
4.9% |
| My support did not change |
33.2% |
34.3% |
30.3% |
| I never supported him |
16.8% |
16.0% |
18.8% |
| No opinion |
7.6% |
6.1% |
11.3% |
Q.8 Within the present political circumstances, do you believe that the Palestinian delegation would have been able to reach a better agreement than the one reached last week?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Yes |
32.2% |
36.6% |
20.8% |
| No |
43.0% |
39.3% |
53.2% |
| I do not know |
13.7% |
14.1% |
12.7% |
| I am not interested in any agreement |
4.5% |
3.8% |
6.6% |
| No opinion |
6.6% |
6.2% |
6.7% |
Q.9 How do you evaluate the performance of the Palestinian delegation during the Taba negotiations?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Good |
35.7% |
35.8% |
35.5% |
| Fair |
34.6% |
36.1% |
30.9% |
| Poor |
13.3% |
12.6% |
15.0% |
| No opinion |
16.4% |
15.5% |
18.6% |
Q.10 To what extent would you say you know about the agreement?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| I know about the agreement |
11.0% |
12.3% |
7.5% |
| I know something about the agreement |
54.9% |
53.3% |
59.2% |
| I do not know the agreement |
26.2% |
28.3% |
20.8% |
| No opinion |
7.9% |
6.1% |
12.5% |
Q.11 Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the removal of Israeli settlements?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Optimistic |
43.0% |
40.0% |
51.4% |
| Pessimistic |
45.6% |
49.2% |
36.4% |
| I do not know |
7.5% |
7.7% |
6.9% |
| No opinion |
3.9% |
3.1% |
5.3% |
Q.12 In general, would you say you support or oppose the peace process?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Support the peace process |
72.7% |
73.7% |
70.8% |
| Oppose the peace process |
17.8% |
17.2% |
19.7% |
| No opinion |
9.5% |
9.1% |
9.5% |
Q.13 If you are opponent to the peace process, would you say the opposition is practical in its program, not practical in its program, or would you say that the opponent follows an unclear path? (This question was asked only to those who say they oppose the peace proces in Q.12).
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Practical |
33.9% |
24.5% |
55.9% |
| Not practical |
15.4% |
18.2% |
8.8% |
| Path unclear |
34.4% |
42.1% |
16.2% |
| No opinion |
16.3% |
15.1% |
19.1% |
Q.14 Is Rabin sincere about implementing the agreements he signed with the Palestinians?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Yes |
27.2% |
25.9% |
30.9% |
| No |
54.8% |
56.0% |
51.7% |
| No opinion |
18.0% |
18.1% |
17.4% |
Q.15 If the labour falls and Likud takes over the Israeli government in the coming elections, do you think the general Palestinian political situation will:
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Improve |
7.6% |
7.6% |
7.8% |
| Worsen |
42.2% |
44.1% |
37.0% |
| Remain the same |
36.1% |
34.6% |
4.2% |
| No opinion |
14.1% |
13.7% |
15.0% |
Q.16 Which is the most political or religious faction you trust most?
First Choice
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Fateh |
41.3% |
41.7% |
40.5% |
| Hamas |
10.7% |
8.8% |
15.6% |
| PFLP |
3.6% |
3.9% |
2.9% |
| DFLP |
0.5% |
0.6% |
0.3% |
| Islamic Jihad |
2.4% |
1.7% |
4.0% |
| PPP |
1.0% |
1.0% |
1.2% |
| FIDA |
0.5% |
0.5% |
0.6% |
| Palestinian Struggle Front |
0.1% |
-- |
-- |
| Islamic religion |
0.9% |
1.3% |
-- |
| Democracy building movements |
0.1% |
-- |
0.3% |
| Do not trust anyone |
20.9% |
22.9% |
15.9% |
| PLO |
0.2% |
0.2% |
0.3% |
| No answer |
17.5% |
17.2% |
17.8% |
Q.17 Which Palestinian figure do you trust most?
First Choice
|
Total |
|
| Yasser Arafat |
36.8% |
| Nayef Hawatmeh |
0.3% |
| Haider Abdul Shafi |
4.6% |
| Abu Ala' - Ahmed Qrieh |
0.9% |
| Jibriil Al-Rajoub |
0.4% |
| Yasser Abed Rabbo |
0.9% |
| Suleiman Najjab |
0.2% |
| Bassam Jarrar |
-- |
| Mahmoud Zahhar |
0.2% |
| Ahmed Yassin |
5.5% |
| Hanan Ashrawi |
2.4% |
| Fathi Shakaki |
0.5% |
| Sa'eb Erikat |
0.5% |
| Nabil Sha'ath |
0.9% |
| Al-Rantisi |
0.3% |
| Bashir Bargouthi |
0.1% |
| Yihia A'yash |
0.2% |
| Farouq Qaddoumi |
1.9% |
| Amin Maraka |
0.1% |
| Abu Mazen - Mahmoud Abbass |
0.5% |
| Faisal Husseini |
2.1% |
| George Habash |
3.4% |
| Ahmed Tibi |
0.3% |
| Abbas Zaki |
0.5% |
| I do not trust anyone |
16.1% |
| Others |
2.7% |
| No opinion |
17.7% |
Q.18 Do you think Israel has the right to exist?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Yes |
26.4% |
26.3% |
26.9% |
| No |
65.2% |
66.1% |
63.0% |
| No opinion |
8.3% |
7.6% |
10.1% |