Background

The Arab states handed to the Security Council a draft resolution that condemns the Israeli settlement-building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem but the United States vetoed the resolution.

A series of youth revolutions occurred in some Arab countries calling for replacing the dominating regimes with new democracies, and for promoting social justice among all the citizens of their societies.

President Mahmoud Abbas entrusted Salam Fayyad with forming a new government after the resignation of his previous government.

The Palestinian Government revealed an intention to conduct presidential, legislative and city council elections without specifying a new date for conducting them.

The division between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip persists and each side adheres to its precepts without any signs for an imminent end of this division.

The Results

Following are the results of the Palestinian Public Opinion Poll no. 42 conducted by the Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah National University during the period from 24-26 February 2011. The University sponsors all polls conducted by its Center.

Palestinian Public Opinion Poll no. 42 undertakes Palestinian public opinion in the emerging political realities on the Palestinian scene, especially the intention to conduct presidential, legislative and city council elections, the formation of a new Palestinian Government led by Dr. Salam Fayyad, the consequences of the American veto against the Security Council draft resolution submitted by Arab states that condemns the Israeli settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the performance of the Governments of Salam Fayyad and Ismail Haniyeh in addition to political affiliations

The sample included 1360 persons whose age group is 18 and above and who have the right to vote. The enclosed questionnaire was distributed on 860 persons from the West Bank and 500 persons from the Gaza Strip. The sample was drawn randomly and the margin of error is about ±3%; still 1.7% of the members of the sample refused to answer the questionnaire.

The General Results:

• 77.6% of respondents rejected holding talks between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Israeli Government in case Israel continues building settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem; 19.6% supported.
• 8.8% of respondents considered the United States an impartial broker in the peace process between the PA and Israel.
• 15.7% of respondents believed that the USA is pursuing every possible way that is within its reach to salvage the peace process.
• 81% of respondents considered the USA’s veto against the Security Council draft resolution condemning the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem an American encouragement of the Israeli policies in the Palestinian Territories.
• 85.4% of respondents considered the USA’s veto against the Security Council draft resolution condemning the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem an American encouragement for Israel to build more settlements in the Palestinian Territories.
• 80.1% of respondents supported the revolutions that took place in some Arab countries such as Tunisia and Egypt.
• 89% of respondents believed that other youth revolutions similar to those that happened in Tunisia and Egypt will be replicated in some other Arab countries.
• 77.3% of respondents expected the success of youth revolutions if they happen in some other Arab countries.
• 56.5% of respondents believed that the youth revolutions that succeeded in some Arab countries will implement fair and democratic rules.
• The reasons behind the youth revolutions in some Arab Countries according to respondents were as follows:
  • 23.8% attributed them to the absence of democracy,
  • 18.3% attributed them to the misdistribution of wealth,
  • 33.5% attributed them to the absence of social justice, and
  • 21.7%attributed them to foreign meddling in the affairs of these countries.
• 52.7% of respondents believed that the youth revolutions that happened in some Arab countries will lead to an increase in the Arab support of the Palestinian cause.
• 40.6% of respondents believed that the youth revolutions that happened in some Arab countries will accelerate the settlement of the Palestinian cause.
• 22.8% of respondents believed that a youth revolution similar to those that happened in Tunisia and Egypt will happen in the West Bank.
• 28.8% of respondents believed that a youth revolution similar to those that happened in Tunisia and Egypt will happen in the Gaza Strip.
• 74.7% of respondents supported a peaceful revolution in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to end the state of Palestinian division.
• 76.2% of respondents supported a peaceful revolution in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to end the Israeli occupation.
• 18% of respondents believed that it is possible to reach a lasting settlement for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict under the current circumstances.
• 71.1% of respondents saw that the USA and the European countries have a duplicity of standards when they support the demands of the popular revolutions in the Arab countries and do not support similar Palestinian demands.
• 66.3% of respondents believed that the surrounding Arab and international circumstances necessitate concluding a national reconciliation agreement between Fateh and Hamas.
• 55.6% of respondents believed that it is possible to reach a national reconciliation agreement between Fateh and Hamas in the near future.
• 32.9% of respondents believed that signing a national reconciliation agreement will lead to speeding up the peace process; 18.7% believed that signing of a reconciliation agreement will entangle and stop the peace process.
• 48.2% of respondents supported conducing presidential elections despite the Palestinian division; 47.6% rejected
• 77.2% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming presidential elections. From among those who said they will participate, 37.4% said that they will give their votes to Fateh's candidate; 11.2% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidate.
• 49.5% of respondents supported conducing legislative elections despite the Palestinian division; 46% rejected.
• 77.9% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming legislative elections. From among those who said they will participate, 39.1% said that they will give their votes to Fateh's candidates; 11.6% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidates.
• If PLC elections are to be conducted, 43.2% of respondents expected the winning of Fateh movement; 13.4% expected the winning of Hamas.
• 53.1% of respondents supported conducing municipality and local council elections despite the Palestinian division; 40.9% rejected
• 85% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming municipality and local council elections. From among those who said they will participate, 30.4% said that they will give their votes to Fateh’s candidate, 11.3% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidate and 10.7% said they will give their votes to the representative of their family or clan.
• 25.6% of respondents supported Hamas’ boycott of the Palestinian elections; 63.1% rejected
• 55.1% of respondents believed that if elections are conducted in the Palestinian Territories at the present time, they will be fair and unbiased.
• 69.4% of respondents supported the formation of a new Palestinian government after the resignation of the government of Salam Fayyad; 21.4% rejected
• Respondents arranged the priorities that the new Palestinian government must adopt as follows:
  • Ending the Palestinian division 89.4%
  • Creating job opportunities for the youth 90.1%
  • Exerting more effort to stop settlement activities 86.3%
  • Reinforcing economic and social development 84.4%
  • Exposing the Israeli practices in the Palestinian Territories 84.9%
  • Fighting corruption 90.6%
  • Fighting poverty 89.8%
  • Increasing investment opportunities in the Palestinian Territories 82.8%
  • Paying more attention to the health sector 88.3%
  • Paying more attention to education 88.8%
• 56.5% of respondents saw that the government of Salam Fayyad is the most capable of managing the Palestinian internal affairs; 19.2% saw that the government of Ismail Haniyeh is the most capable.
• 55.8% of respondents assessed the performance of the government of Salam Fayyad as “good”.
• 32.6% of respondents assessed the performance of the government of Ismail Haniyeh as “good”.
• 52.1% of respondents expressed fear for their lives under the present circumstances.
• 54.1% of respondents said that they are pessimistic of the general Palestinian situation at this stage.
• 61.8% of respondents said that they neither feel safe for themselves nor for their families and properties under the current circumstances.
• As for political affiliation, respondents gave the following results:

  People’s Party	0.3%
  Democratic Front	0.4%
  Islamic Jihad	2.1%
  Fateh	36.1%
  Hamas	12.4%
  Fida	0.2%
  Popular Front	3.0%
  Palestinian National Initiative	0.7%
  I am an independent nationalist	7.1%
  I am an independent Islamist	2.8%
  None of the above	34.1%
  Others	0.9%

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