Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No 55 - 45% of respondents saw that the Palestinian division is ended once and for all
By Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies
October 18, 2017

Background

After ten years of Palestinian division, Fateh and Hamas declared an end to it. The reconciliation was achieved after a series of consultations and mediations from different sides to end the division.

The Coalition Government presided by Dr. Rami Hamdallah went to the Gaza Strip and held the government meeting in Gaza city. Several ministers inspected their ministries in the Gaza Strip to resume their responsibilities there.

Fateh and Hamas agreed to resume their meetings in Cairo to resolve the unsettled issues and hand in the administration of the Gaza Strip to the Coalition Government..

The Results

Following are the results of the Palestinian Public Opinion Poll no. 55 conducted by the Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah National University during the period from 12-14 October 2017. The University sponsors all polls conducted by its Center.

This poll undertakes the new political developments on the Palestinian scene, particularly the national reconciliation, the ending of the Palestinian division, the visit of the Palestinian Coalition Government presided by Dr. Rami Hamdallah to the Gaza Strip, the possibilities of conducting presidential and legislative elections in addition to the political affiliations of Palestinian people.

The sample included 1862 persons whose age group is 18 and above and who have the right to vote. The enclosed questionnaire was distributed on 862 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 1.8% of the members of the sample refused to answer the questionnaire.

The General Results:

  • 45% of respondents saw that the Palestinian division is ended once and for all.
  • 71.8% of respondents assessed Dr. Rami Hamdallah and the Palestinian Government’s visit to the Gaza Strip as ‘good’ or better than good.
  • 52.7% of respondents saw that Dr. Rami Hamdallah and the Palestinian Government’s visit to the Gaza Strip marks the end of the Palestinian division.
  • 70.2% of respondents assessed the performance of Prime Minster Dr. Rami Hamdallah in pushing forward the endeavors for the national reconciliation as ‘good’ or better than good.
  • 52% of respondents considered dissolving the Administrative Committee in the Gaza Strip as the major reason for the Palestinian reconciliation.
  • 45.4% of respondents believed that Hamas will win in its popularity among Palestinian people after concluding the reconciliation; 17% believed it will lose.
  • 59% of respondents believed that Fateh will win in its popularity among Palestinian people after concluding the reconciliation; 9.8% believed it will lose.
  • 14% of respondents believed that the siege on the Gaza Strip will be uplifted after the visit of the Palestinian Government to the Gaza Strip; 23.3% believed it will remain as it is.
  • 41.3% of respondents believed that without the approval of the USA and Israel and their withholding of the veto, the Palestinian reconciliation would not have happened.
  • 54.8% of respondents believed that the pressures and procedures that President Abu Mazen imposed on the Gaza Strip and the leaders of Hamas contributed to strengthening the chances of reconciliation.
  • 21.2% of respondents saw that if uplifting the pressures and procedures that President Abu Mazen imposed on the Gaza Strip is delayed, it will influence the efforts of reconciliation positively; 64.4% saw that it will influence the reconciliation efforts negatively.
  • 64.5% of respondents believed that it is possible to reach a political program that all Palestinians would agree on; 27.4% believed the opposite.
  • 40.1% of respondents believed that the outside pressures will influence the achievement of a national reconciliation; 40.2% believed that outside pressures will not have any effect.
  • 75.1% of respondents saw that the national reconciliation will influence the freedom of opinion and expression in Palestine in a positive way; 22% believed that it will not have any effect.
  • The most important obstacles that may stand in the path of reconciliation according to respondents are the following:
    • 78.0% Collecting the arms of resistance.
    • 63.0% Merging the employees of Hamas in the Palestinian Authority.
    • 60.2% The distribution of ministries in the unity government.
    • 68.2% The personal interests of some officials of Fateh and Hamas.
    • 68.2% The disagreement on the political program.
    • 67.4% The dominance over the security apparatuses in the Gaza Strip.
    • 61.9% The Israel aggressions against the Gaza Strip.
    • 61.0% Outside intrusions.
  • The respondents saw that the national reconciliation efforts to solve the problems of the Gaza Strip will be as follows:
    • 76.3% Electricity
    • 69.7% Merging the Gaza Strip employees in the Palestinian Authority
    • 68.8% Opening the border crossings and facilitating free movement.
    • 58.0% Ending the siege
  • The respondents saw that the national reconciliation will influence the lives of people in the Gaza Strip as follows:
    • 71.7% Improving the living conditions
    • 66.0% Peace and security
    • 60.0% Freedom of expression
    • 57.4% The environment
    • 64.4% Creating job opportunities
    • 68.7% Education
    • 66.5% The health sector
    • 62.0% Freedom of movement
  • The respondents saw that the one who bears the responsibility of the Palestinian division for more than 10 years is:
    • 65.8% Fateh.
    • 75.1% Hamas.
    • 81.7% The stand of the Americans and Israelis who benefit from the division.
    • 45.3% The leftist and liberal powers.
    • 61.5% The weak popular pressure on the two sides of the division
    • 75.1% Personalities from Fateh and Hamas.
  • 74.8% of respondents supported the accession of Hamas and Islamic Jihad to the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).
  • 65.5% of respondents believed that Fateh is faithful in its intentions towards the national reconciliation.
  • 60.8% of respondents believed that Hamas is faithful in its intentions towards the national reconciliation.
  • 49.3% of respondents believed that the officials in Fateh believe in democracy and the rotation of power.
  • 39.8% of respondents believed that the officials in Hamas believe in democracy and the rotation of power.
  • According to the point of view of respondents, the best solution for the arms of resistance is through:
    • 36.2% Collecting all arms and there should be no arms other than the arms of one authority
    • 24.0% Restoring the situation to how it was before the dominance of Hamas over the Gaza Strip
    • 31.5% Leaving the situation as it is now
  • According to the point of view of respondents, the best political program for the national unity government is:
    • 15.2% The PLO program
    • 3.7% Hamas program
    • 76.5% A program that will be nationally acceptable to all the PLO factions, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.
  • 78.4% of respondents believed that after heading towards national reconciliation, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip will witness presidential and legislative elections.
  • 63.3% of respondents expected the USA to exert pressure on some parties to compel them to go back to the negotiating table and make negotiations succeed.
  • From among respondents who supported an intervention by the USA to exert pressure on some parties to lead these negotiations to a successful end, 47.1% expected the pressure to be exerted on the Palestinian side; 10.3% expected it to be exerted on the Israeli side while 40.5% expected it to be on both sides.
  • 28.9% of respondents saw that the USA is serious this time in leading the negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis to a successful end.
  • 30.9% of respondents believed that the USA has a prepared peace plan between the Palestinians and the Israelis; 57.3% believed that the USA does not have a plan for peace.
  • 62.4% of respondents supported providing international protection for the Palestinian people who have been under occupation since 1967.
  • 46.6% of respondents supported the rise of a peaceful, unarmed intifada in the Palestinian Territories; 46.5% rejected that
  • 31.8% of respondents supported the rise of an armed intifada in the Palestinian Territories; 60.6% rejected that.
  • 23.1% of respondents saw that if a Palestinian intifada takes place, a peaceful and unarmed intifada will be the best form of resistance that would serve the Palestinian cause, 16.7% said that an armed intifada would serve the Palestinian cause better, 20.8% said that both forms are useful for the Palestinian cause; 32.5% said that both forms are useless.
  • 43.4% of respondents believed that there is a possibility for the creation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders while 45.9% said that there is no such possibility.
  • 45.5% of respondents supported the creation of a Palestinian state on the entire area of the 1967 borders as a final solution for the Palestinian cause while 47% said that there is no such possibility.
  • 26.4% of respondents supported the creation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with some land exchange as a final solution for the Palestinian cause while 65.9% rejected.
  • 25.4% of respondents supported the creation of a binational state for Arabs and Jews on historic Palestine as a final solution for the Palestinian cause while 67.3% rejected.
  • 75% of respondents assessed the performance of the National Unity Government as good.
  • 51% of respondents expected that if elections are conducted in the present time in the Palestinian Territories, they will be fair.
  • 84.1% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming presidential elections. From among those who said they will participate, 41.5% said that they will give their votes to Fateh's candidate; 12.3% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidate.
  • 82.2% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming legislative elections. From among those who said they will participate, 41.6% said that they will give their votes to Fateh's candidates; 12.2% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidates.
  • If PLC elections are to be conducted, 43.9% of respondents expected the winning of Fateh movement; 13.1% expected the winning of Hamas.
  • 84.1% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming municipality and local council elections. From among those who said they will participate, 35.5% said that they will give their votes to Fateh’s candidates, 9.5% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidates and 14.7% said they will give their votes to the representative of their family or clan.
  • 31.1% of respondents said that the current political, security and economic circumstances compel them to desire to emigrate.
  • 43.2% of respondents expressed fear for their lives under the present circumstances.
  • 34.5% of respondents said that they are pessimistic about the general Palestinian situation at this stage.
  • 70.5% of respondents said that they neither feel safe for themselves nor for their families and properties under the current circumstances.

To View the Full Result as PDF

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