JMCC Public Opinion Poll No. 16
On Palestinian Attitudes Towards
Current Issues
August 1996
A random sample of 1,178 people over the age of 18 were interviewed fac-to face throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip on 19 and 20 August 1996. The interviews were conducted in randomly selected homes, and the subjects inside each home were also selected randomly according to Kish tables. The interviews were conducted in 60 sampling points chosen randomly according to population.
In the West Bank, 737 people were surveyed from the following areas: Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour, Hebron; Jerusalem: Jerusalem, Shufat, Jenin, Jenin Refugee Camp, Nablus, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Tulkarem, Qalqilia, Salfit, and Jericho.
In the Gaza Strip, 441 people were surveyed from: Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Deir al-Balah RC, Nusseirat RC, Rafah, Jabalya, Jabalya a-Nazala, Jabalya RC, Khan Younis, Khan Younis RC, Rafah, Shati RC, Burij RC, Maghazi RC and 'Abasan.
The margin of error is 3 percent, with a confidence level of 95 percent.
Local of Respondents - West Bank (including East Jerusalem) 62.5%, Gaza Strip 37.4%
The average of age of the respondents was 34 years.
Q.1 In general, what is the extent of your optimism about the Palestinian future. Would you say you are very optimistic, somewhat optimistic, optimistic, pessimistic, or very pessimistic?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Very optimistic |
21.1% |
19.7% |
23.4% |
| Somewhat optimistic |
51.7% |
49.0% |
56.2% |
| Pessimistic |
19.1% |
22.9% |
12.7% |
| Very pessimistic |
5.6% |
5.2% |
6.3% |
| No opinion |
2.5% |
3.3% |
1.4% |
Q.2 In general, how do you evaluate your feeling of security after the PA assumed its responsibilities in most of the areas in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip? Would you say your feeling of security is better than before redeployment, worse than before redeployment, or did it not change?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip | |
| Better |
68.1% |
50.3% |
76.9% |
| Worse |
9.9% |
8.7% |
9.1% |
| Did not change |
18.7% |
20.5% |
11.1% |
| No opinion |
3.3% |
20.5% |
2.9% |
Q.2-1 A considerable period has elapsed since the PA took over a unumber of responsibilities in many areas in the West Bank and Gaza. To what extent would you say that you support similar changes in your area? Would you say you strongly support that, cautiously support them, or strongly oppose them? Question was asked in Hebron and in Jerusalem.
|
Jerusalem |
Hebron |
|
| Strongly support |
9.6% |
33.3% |
| Somewhat support |
45.8% |
24.6% |
| Absolutely do not support |
15.7% |
25.4% |
| No opinion |
28.9% |
16.7% |
Q.3 Given the time elapsed since the signing of Oslo II (The Taba Agreement), to what extent can you say you are for or against the agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israel?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Strongly support |
25.0% |
20.9% |
31.7% |
| Somewhat support |
41.9% |
42.7% |
40.6% |
| Did not support |
20.8% |
22.9% |
17.2% |
| No opinion |
12.3% |
13.4% |
10.4% |
Q.4 How do you evaluate the performance of the Palestinian Authority? Would you say its performance is good, average, or poor?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Good |
31.1% |
28.4% |
35.6% |
| Average |
45.8% |
44.1% |
48.8% |
| Poor |
16.5% |
19.7% |
11.1% |
| No opinion |
6.6% |
7.9% |
4.5% |
Q.5 How do you evaluate the performance of the following bodies? (TOTAL)
|
Good |
Average |
Poor |
No opinion |
|
| The Security apparatuses |
34.6% |
33.8% |
19.3% |
12.3% |
| The Legislative Council |
21.6% |
31.1% |
17.1% |
30.2% |
| The Executive Authority (the Cabinet) |
19.4% |
31.7% |
14.5% |
34.4% |
| Palestinian educational institutions |
57.2% |
30.1% |
6.7% |
5.9% |
| Palestinian health institutions |
44.8% |
32.8% |
15.9% |
6.5% |
| Palestinian Television |
42.1% |
18.7% |
9.8% |
29.5% |
| Palestinian Radio |
54.2% |
21.6% |
4.2% |
19.9% |
Q.5 How do you evaluate the performance of the following bodies? (WEST BANK)
|
Good |
Average |
Poor |
No opinion | |
| The Security apparatuses |
33.1% |
32.7% |
21.3% |
12.9% |
| The Legislative Council |
19.5% |
31.9% |
17.8% |
30.8% |
| The Executive Authority (the Cabinet) |
17.8% |
33.5% |
17.0% |
31.8% |
| Palestinian educational institutions |
50.5% |
33.4% |
8.5% |
7.6% |
| Palestinian health institutions |
38.4% |
35.5% |
17.9% |
8.1% |
| Palestinian Television |
26.9% |
18.0% |
12.5% |
42.6% |
| Palestinian Radio |
57.4% |
23.5% |
4.7% |
14.4% |
Q.5 How do you evaluate the performance of the following bodies? (GAZA STRIP)
|
Good |
Average |
Poor |
No opinion | |
| The Security apparatuses |
37.2% |
35.6% |
15.9% |
11.3% |
| The Legislative Council |
25.2% |
29.7% |
15.9% |
29.3% |
| The Executive Authority (the Cabinet) |
22.2% |
28.6% |
10.4% |
38.8% |
| Palestinian educational institutions |
68.5% |
24.7% |
3.6% |
3.2% |
| Palestinian health institutions |
55.6% |
28.1% |
12.5% |
3.9% |
| Palestinian Television |
67.6% |
19.7% |
5.2% |
7.5% |
| Palestinian Radio |
48.8% |
18.6% |
3.4% |
29.3% |
Q.6 Do you think that President Yasser Arafat is conducting his functions as the head of the Palestinian Authority in a good way, bad way, or average way?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Good |
56.5% |
47.1% |
72.3% |
| Average |
23.9% |
28.4% |
16.6% |
| Poor |
9.3% |
12.8% |
3.6% |
| No opinion |
10.2% |
11.8% |
7.5% |
Q.7 To what extent would you say that the Palestinian Legislative Council represents the aspirations of the Palestinian people? Would you say that it represents the people in a good way, represents the people but with neutral effect, or would you say that the Council represents the people badly?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Represent the people well |
23.8% |
22.1% |
26.5% |
| Represent the people but with no effect |
46.7% |
45.3% |
49.0% |
| Represents the people badly |
10.8% |
13.8% |
5.7% |
| No opinion |
18.8% |
18.7% |
18.8% |
Q.8 Would you say that you are well informed about the work of the Legislative Council, only reasonably informed, or not informed at all?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Well informed |
8.2% |
7.1% |
10.2% |
| Informed but not enough |
44.8% |
44.8% |
44.9% |
| Not informed at all |
39.6% |
39.9% |
39.0% |
| No Opinion |
7.4% |
8.3% |
5.9% |
Q.9 How do you follow the work of the Council? Do you follow it via local newspapers, radio, TV or via friends and acquaintances, or via other means?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Newspapers |
17.6% |
20.9% |
12.0% |
| Radio |
14.1% |
18.9% |
6.1% |
| TV |
24.4% |
14.5% |
40.8% |
| Friends and acquaintances |
7.6% |
7.6% |
7.7% |
| More than one of the above |
9.9% |
11.1% |
8.0% |
| No answer |
26.4% |
27.0% |
25.4% |
Q.10 If you wanted to get in touch with a Council member for assistance on some matter, would you say that accessibility to them is difficult or easy?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| I find difficulty |
14.5% |
14.0% |
15.4% |
| I do not find any difficulty |
13.7% |
14.1% |
12.9% |
| I did not try to contact any CM |
63.7% |
60.7% |
68.7% |
| No answer |
8.1% |
11.3% |
2.9% |
Q.11 Which radio station do you trust most?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Palestine Radio |
33.4% |
33.9% |
32.7% |
| Israel Radio |
17.1% |
19.5% |
12.9% |
| Radio Jordan |
5.9% |
8.1% |
2.0% |
| Egyptian Radio |
2.4% |
0.7% |
5.2% |
| Radio Monte Carlo |
11.2% |
9.0% |
15.0% |
| BBC |
5.3% |
4.7% |
6.3% |
| Others |
0.6% |
1.0% |
0.0% |
| No answer |
24.2% |
23.1% |
25.8% |
Q.12 Which television station do you trust most?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Palestine TV |
26.5% |
11.1% |
52.2% |
| Israel TV |
12.2% |
13.6% |
10.0% |
| Jordanian TV |
24.9% |
33.9% |
9.8% |
| Egyptian TV |
5.1% |
2.0% |
10.2% |
| Middle East Broadcasting Cp. |
4.5% |
6.9% |
0.5% |
| Others |
4.3% |
5.7% |
1.8% |
| No answer |
22.5% |
26.6% |
15.7% |
Q.13 In general, would you say that you support or oppose the peace process?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Support the peace process |
74.3% |
69.7% |
81.9% |
| Oppose the peace process |
14.0% |
15.7% |
11.1% |
| No opinion |
11.7% |
14.5% |
7.0% |
Q.14 Which Palestinian political or religious faction do you trust most?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Fateh |
34.0% |
29.3% |
41.7% |
| PFLP |
2.8% |
3.3% |
2.0% |
| DFLP |
0.2% |
0.3% |
0.0% |
| Hamas |
6.5% |
6.5% |
6.6% |
| Islamic Jihad |
1.4% |
1.1% |
1.8% |
| FIDA |
0.6% |
0.9% |
0.0% |
| PPP |
1.1% |
1.6% |
0.2% |
| I do not trust anyone |
29.4% |
29.9% |
28.6% |
| Others |
2.0% |
2.6% |
0.7% |
| No answer |
22.2% |
24.4% |
18.4% |
Q.15 Which Palestinian personality that you trust most?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Yasser Arafat |
38.5% |
31.9% |
49.4% |
| Ahmed Yassin |
3.0% |
3.4% |
2.3% |
| George Habash |
1.4% |
1.8% |
0.7% |
| Nayef Hawatmeh |
0.2% |
0.3% |
0.0% |
| Yasser Abed Rabbo |
0.8% |
1.1% |
0.2% |
| Haidar Abdul Shafi |
6.4% |
5.0% |
8.6% |
| Hanan Ashrawi |
2.6% |
3.3% |
1.6% |
| Farouq Qaoumi |
1.0% |
1.1% |
0.9% |
| Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) |
0.9% |
0.8% |
1.1% |
| Mahmoud Zahhar |
0.3% |
0.1% |
0.5% |
| Faisal Husseni |
1.5% |
1.6% |
1.4% |
| Nabil Sha'ath |
0.4% |
0.3% |
0.7% |
| Ahmad Qrie'h |
0.8% |
1.1% |
0.2% |
| Do not trust anyone |
20.5% |
24.6% |
13.6% |
| Others |
7.1% |
6.9% |
7.6% |
| No Opinion |
14.8% |
16.8% |
11.3% |
Q.16 To what extent would you say that the present Israeli Government influenced the peace process?
Would you say it influenced it for the better, for the worse, or it did not influence it?
|
Total |
|
| For the better |
7.3% |
| For the worse |
62.6% |
| Did not influence it |
21.3% |
| No opinion |
8.8% |