JMCC Public Opinion Poll No. 19
On Palestinian Attitudes Towards Current Issues
April 1997
A comparison of the reuslts between an unpublished JMCC poll on 7 March, 1997 and the current JMCC poll, shows a remarkable shift in the mood of Palestinian public opinion towards various aspects of the ailing peace process.
A random sample of 1,200 Palestinians, over the age of 18 years, were interviewed throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip on 3 and 4 April 1997. 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 60 sampling points chosen randomly according to population.
In the West Bank, 740 people were surveyed from the following areas: Jerusalem: Old city, a-Ram & Dhahya, Shu'fat, Shu'fat RC (Refugee Camp), Silwan, Jabal al-Mukaber, Wadi al-Joz, Sheikh Jarrah, Beit Hanina. Bethlehem: Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Shahour, Batir, Sawahra, Nahaleen. Hebron: Hebron, Fawwar RC, Rihiya, Bani Na'im, Halhoul, Idthna, Sa'eer. Jenin: Jenin, Jenin RC, Toubas, al-Jdayda, Sanur, Rumana, Anin. Tulkarem & Qalqilia: Qalqilia, Tulkarem, Rameen, Anbata, Kufr Jammal, Jayyous, Sida, Illar. Nablus: Nablu, 'Ain Beit Elam RC, Salim, Rujib. Ramallah: Ramallah, Al-Bireh, Silwad, Beit 'Anan, Amari RC, Jericho: Jericho.
In the Gaza Strip, 460 people were surveyed from: Rafah RC, Beit Hanoun, Khan Younis RC, Khan Younis, Jabalia RC, Magahzi RC, Gaza/Rimal, Gaza/Sabra, Deir al-Balah, 'Abssan, Bani Suheila, Jabalia, Bureij RC, Gaza/al-Tufah, Gaza/Shuja'ia, Gaza/Sheikh Radwan, Nusseirat RC, Shati RC.
The major of error is plus or minus 3% with a confidence level of 95%.
Q.1 In general, do you support or oppose the current peace process between the Palestinians and Israel? Do you strongly support, somewhat support, strongly oppose, or somewhat oppose?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Strongly support |
29.1% |
24.9% |
35.9% |
| Somewhat support |
43.8% |
43.1% |
45.0% |
| Strongly oppose |
11.2% |
13.9% |
6.7% |
| Somewhat oppose |
11.9% |
13.0% |
10.2% |
| No answer |
4.0% |
5.1% |
2.2% |
Q.2 How has the Arab-Israeli peace process affected our economy. Has it had a very positive, positive, negative, or very negative effect on our economy, or has it had no effect at all?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip | |
| Very positive |
2.1% |
2.0% |
2.2% |
| Positive |
17.8% |
18.4% |
17.0% |
| Negative |
42.7% |
42.0% |
43.7% |
| Very negative |
27.4% |
24.6% |
32.0% |
| Had no effect at all |
6.6% |
8.6% |
3.3% |
| No answer |
3.4% |
4.3% |
2.0% |
Q.3 In your opinion, which of the following is the single most important issue facing Palestinian society today? To help you remember, here is a card showing the possible issues (Accept one response only)
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Competing negotiations with Israel |
23.1% |
24.3% |
21.1% |
| Improving our economic situation |
39.8% |
37.2% |
43.9% |
| Achieving democracy and freedom of expression |
11.8% |
12.7% |
10.4% |
| Maintaining order and security |
10.9% |
12.0% |
9.1% |
| Decline of religious observance |
10.8% |
10.0% |
12.2% |
| No answer |
3.6% |
3.8% |
3.3% |
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 |
|
| Fateh |
38.5% |
35.8% |
42.8% |
| Hamas |
10.6% |
9.9% |
11.7% |
| PFLP |
1.4% |
1.8% |
0.9% |
| DFLP |
0.7% |
09% |
0.2% |
| Islamic Jihad |
1.4% |
1.4% |
1.5% |
| PPP |
0.4% |
0.5% |
0.2% |
| FIDA |
0.4% |
0.5% |
0.2% |
| Pro peace secularists |
0.6% |
0.7% |
0.4% |
| Othe Islamic Organization |
5.0% |
7.2% |
1.5% |
| Others |
1.3% |
1.2% |
1.3% |
| Do not trust anyone |
25.9% |
25.0% |
27.4% |
| No answer |
13.9% |
15.1% |
11.7% |
Q.5 Which Palestinian political or religious personality do you trust most?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Yasser Arafat |
43.4% |
38.2% |
51.7% |
| Ahmad Yassin |
6.0% |
4.9% |
7.8% |
| George Habash |
1.4% |
1.6% |
1.1% |
| Nayef Hawatmeh |
0.4% |
0.5% |
0.2% |
| Haidar Abdul Sahfi |
3.6% |
3.5% |
3.7%% |
| Faisal Husseini |
2.3% |
2.6% |
1.7% |
| Hanan Ashrawi |
2.0% |
3.1% |
2% |
| Sa'eb Erekat |
1.7% |
1.6% |
1.7% |
| Abu Mazen |
1.0% |
0.8% |
1.3% |
| Others |
7% |
6.6% |
7.6% |
| Do not trust anyone |
18.0% |
22.3% |
11.1% |
| No answer |
13.3% |
14.2% |
11.7% |
Q.6 In general, how would you rate the overall performance of the Palestinian Authority? Would you say that its performance has been very good, not very good, bad, or very bad?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Very good |
12.5% |
12.3% |
12.8% |
| Good |
67.1% |
65.1% |
70.2% |
| Bad |
13.1% |
13.2% |
12.8% |
| Very bad |
2.9% |
3.9% |
1.3% |
| No answer |
4.4% |
5.4% |
2.8% |
Q. 7 In general, how would you rate the overall performance of the Palestinian Legislative Council? Would you say that its performance has been very good, good, bad or very bad?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Very good |
6.9% |
7.2% |
6.5% |
| Good |
46.9% |
48.0% |
45.2% |
| Bad |
24.6% |
23.8% |
25.9% |
| Very bad |
7.3% |
5.8% |
9.8% |
| No answer |
14.3% |
15.3% |
12.6% |
Q. 8 To what extent would you say that the Palestinian Legislative Council fulfills the needs of the Palestinian people?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Fulfills the needs well |
25.8% |
27.3% |
23.5% |
| Fulfills the needs to no effect |
48.1% |
46.2% |
51.1% |
| Fulfills the needs in a bad way |
12.8% |
11.4% |
15.2% |
| No answer |
13.3% |
15.1% |
10.2% |
Q. 9 How would you rate the overall performance of the following Palestinian Authority apparatuses:
a. Security Apparatus
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Good |
52.8% |
52.4% |
53.3% |
| Fair |
13.3% |
31.4% |
31.3% |
| Bad |
10.0% |
9.2% |
11.3% |
| No answer |
5.9% |
7.0% |
4.1% |
b. Palestinian Legislative Council
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Good |
33.8% |
34.2% |
33.3% |
| Fair |
27.7% |
28.0% |
27.2% |
| Bad |
24.1% |
21.8% |
27.8% |
| No answer |
14.4% |
16.1% |
11.7% |
c. Ministerial Cabinet (The Executive Authority)
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Good |
34.3% |
33.6% |
35.4% |
| Fair |
26.6% |
26.1% |
27.4% |
| Bad |
19.0% |
21.6% |
14.8% |
| No answer |
20.1% |
18.6% |
22.4% |
Q. 10 Do you think that President Arafat conducts his work as the head of the National Authority in a good way, a fair way or a bad way?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Good |
67.8% |
61.4% |
78.3% |
| Fair |
21.8% |
24.2% |
18.0% |
| Bad |
6.2% |
8.8% |
2.0% |
| No answer |
4.2% |
5.7% |
1.7% |
Q. 11 Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has suggested stopping the implementation of the Interim Agreement (Oslo II) and beginning the final status negotiations. do you think that the Palestinian leadership should accept this suggestion or not?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Should accept this suggestion |
11.0% |
8.8% |
14.6% |
| Should reject this suggestion |
68.0% |
67.6% |
68.7% |
| Do not know |
14.5% |
16.1% |
12.0% |
| No answer |
6.5% |
7.6% |
4.8% |
Q. 12 Do you support the continuation of military operations against Israeli targets as an adequate response to the current political conditions, or do you oppose it and see it as harmful to Palestinian national interests?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Support military operations |
39.8% |
41.6% |
37.0% |
| Oppose military operations |
47.7% |
42.7% |
55.7% |
| No answer |
12.5% |
15.7% |
7.4% |
Q. 13 What about the suicide bombing operations?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Suport suicide operations |
32.7% |
35.0% |
28.9% |
| Oppose suicide operations |
54.5% |
48.6% |
63.9% |
| No answer |
12.8% |
16.4% |
7.2% |
Q. 14 What about the intensification of Palestinian demonstration and protests against Israel? Do you support or oppose this intensification of Palestinian demonstrations and protests against Israel?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Support intensification |
62.7% |
59.5% |
67.8% |
| Oppose intensification |
28.6% |
29.5% |
27.2% |
| No answer |
8.8% |
11.1% |
5.0% |
Q.15 These are numerous ideas for solving the problems stemming from the recent violations of some aspects of the agreement (Abu Ghniem, Har Homa, closure of institutions, etc...) Some believe that the answer is to intensify the negotiations, other say the negotiations should be stopped, and others say the answer lies in intensifying popular protests. What is your opinion?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Intensify the negotiations |
33.9% |
31.5% |
37.8% |
| Negotiations should be stopped |
25.7% |
25.0% |
26.7% |
| Intensify popular protests |
19.3% |
30.1% |
27.8% |
| Others |
3.5% |
4.3% |
2.2% |
| No answer |
7.7% |
9.1% |
5.4% |
Q. 16 In your opinion what should the PA (Palestinian Authority) do regarding popular protests. Do you think the PA should encourage these protests, should not interfere in these protests, or should the PA prevent these protests?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Encourage these protests |
31.3% |
25.9% |
40.0% |
| Not interfere in these protests |
37.5% |
45.4% |
24.8% |
| PA should prevent these prortests |
23.1% |
19.1% |
29.6% |
| No answer |
8.1% |
9.6% |
5.7% |
Q. 17 Currently thre is a discussion about municipal elections in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Some believe that Palestinian refugees should participate in municipal election whereas others do not believe they should because of the political ramifications of their participation? What it your opinion?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| Refugees should participate |
70.5% |
60.9% |
85.9% |
| Should not participate |
20.2% |
26.9% |
9.3% |
| No answer |
9.3% |
12.2% |
4.8% |
Q.18 Some think that the level of corruption in the Palestinian Authority is high, others think that there is corruption but it is not widespread while others think there isn't any corruption. What do you think?
|
Total |
West Bank |
Gaza Strip |
|
| There is a great deal |
34.8% |
30.3% |
42.2% |
| There is a fair amount |
44.0% |
45.5% |
41.5% |
| There is hardly any at all |
11.8% |
13.2% |
9.3% |
| No answer |
9.4% |
10.9% |
7.0% |