An-Najah National University

Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies

Tel: (972) (9) 2345113           Fax: (972)(9) 2345982

Nablus – Palestinian: P.O.Box 7, 707

Results of Palestinian Public Opinion Poll

No. 30

13-15 September 2007

Background

Since the domination of Hamas movement over the Gaza Strip, it has become obvious that the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) has become completely impaired. Such reality prompted President Abu Mazen to issue a group of presidential decrees in the form of laws the most important of which was amending the elections law to make the whole country one electoral circle. This amendment was rejected by Hamas considering the President's decree unconstitutional.

In Gaza, the PLO factions called upon all citizens to hold the Friday prayer in the open, instead of holding it in mosques since, they believe, Hamas uses mosques for incitement. Hamas denied such allegations and issued a religious decree (fatwa) denying the sanctity and holiness of prayers outside mosques (in the open). The Executive Force encountered the worshippers, beat them and arrested several. Even media personnel were not spared harassments. Such harassments were condemned by several Palestinian factions and civil society institutions considering them attacks on public liberties and an attempt to confound people.

On the side of negotiations, meetings between President Abbas and the Israeli Prime Minister continued aiming at laying out a detailed frame work for a Palestinian Israeli solution that will be discussed in the international meeting intended to take place in the coming fall. 

The Results

Following are the results of the Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No. 30 conducted by the Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah National University during the period from 13-15 September, 2007. The University sponsors all polls conducted by its Center.

Palestinian public opinion poll no. 30 undertakes the current political realities especially the incidents that took place in the Gaza Strip, the domination of Hamas over the Strip, the accompanying development on the Palestinian arena, 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 3.8% of the members of the sample refused to answer the questionnaire.

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The opinions represented in the results reflect those of the study; they do not, by any means, represent the opinion of An-Najah National University.

The General Results:

• 69.7% of respondents considered the PLO the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
• 77.6% of respondents believed that there is a need to reconstruct the institutions of the PLO.
• 45.4% of respondents believed that it is necessary to add Hamas to the institutions of the PLO.
• 31% of respondents believed that Hamas is serious in its intentions to join the PLO.
• 67% of respondents rejected declarations made by some officials of Hamas that the PLO institutions are illegitimate and do not represent the Palestinian people; 26.4% supported that.
• 17.9% of respondents believed that the security conditions in the Gaza Strip after the domination of Hamas are improving; 65.4% said they are deteriorating.
• 38.2% of respondents believed that the security conditions were better before Hamas took hold of the Strip; 30.1% believed the contrary.
• 57.6% of respondents considered what Hamas did as a coup against Palestinian legitimacy.
• 39.2% of respondents believed that Hamas is endeavoring to create an entity of its own in the Gaza Strip in isolation from the West Bank; 28.5% believed the contrary.
• 21.8% of respondents believed that Hamas is capable of managing the life affairs of the citizens of the Gaza Strip.
• 21.7% of respondents supported Hamas' declaration that it will not recognize the legitimacy of the government that President Mahmoud Abbas formed.
• 73.7% of respondents rejected the move made by the dissolved government in Gaza to prevent worshippers from praying in the public quarters.
• 45.4% of respondents believed that Hamas employs religion to achieve political ends.
• 16% of respondents believed that Fateh employs religion to achieve political ends.
• 84.1% of respondents rejected using religion to achieve political ends.
• 11.5% of respondents considered the practices of the Executive Force in the Gaza Strip sound while 78.9 % considered them wrong.
• 24.7% of respondents considered the Executive Force a legitimate one that should be integrated within the security apparatuses; 51% believed the opposite.
•  20.1% of respondents supported forming an executive force in the West Bank; 68.7% opposed that.
• 38.9% of respondents considered Hamas bloc as the side which is impairing the work of the PLC; 23.2% considered Fateh bloc as the side.
• 35.7% of respondents saw that the PLC members do not serve the interest of their country.
• 45.7% of respondents saw that the PLC members put the interest of their political party first and that of their country second.
• 44.6% of respondents believed that the existence of the PLC is nationally expedient; 28.4% saw the opposite.
• 75.6% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming legislative elections. From among those who said they will participate, 50.6% said that they will give their votes to Fateh's candidates; 14.7% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidates.
• 72.1% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming presidential elections. From among those who said they will participate, 55.3% said that they will give their votes to Fateh's candidate; 18.5% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidate.
• In the point of view of respondents, the priorities of the present government led by Salam Fayyad should be as follows:

-          Restoring control over the Gaza Strip 60.0%

-          Restraining security chaos in the West Bank 69.6%

-          Restoring dialogue between Fateh and Hamas 49.4%

-          Improving the economic conditions 69.9%

-          Paying the salaries of employees 77.0%

·         The personal priorities of respondents at the present time were as follows:

-          Restoring control over the Gaza Strip 74.5%

-          Restraining security chaos in the West Bank 87.5%

-          Restoring dialogue between Fateh and Hamas 70.2%

-          Improving the economic conditions 89.3%

-          Securing funds for the salaries of employees 90.9%

• 42.9% of respondents believed that the government of Salam Fayyad is capable of improving the economic conditions in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
• 37.4% of respondents believed that the government of Salam Fayyad is capable of putting an end to the security chaos in the West Bank.
• 49.6% of respondents considered the Palestinian government in the West Bank as the legitimate one, 14.5% considered the government in the Gaza Strip the legitimate one, and 24.7% considered both governments illegitimate.
• Regardless of legitimacy or illegitimacy, 56.3% supported the general policy of the government of Salam Fayyad.
• Regardless of legitimacy or illegitimacy, 22.2% supported the general policy of the dissolved government of Ismael Haniyeh.
• If conditions in the Gaza Strip went back to normal and President Abbas wanted to appoint a new prime minister, 21.1% of respondents would advise Abbas to appoint a Fateh affiliated personality; 7.4% would advise him to appoint a Hamas affiliated personality.
• 54.2% of respondents supported the cancellation by President Abbas of the previous electoral system which was based on a combination of electoral circles and the proportional representation system to become based solely on the proportional representation system; 31.7% rejected that.
• 31.4% of respondents said that when they listen to the news, they believe Fateh media, 14.3% said they believe the Hamas media, and 41.9% said they believe neither of them.
• 23.8% of respondents believed that the peace conference that the US called for holding in the coming fall will succeed; 57.3% believed it will fail.
• 70.5% of respondents supported the notion that arms should only be in the hands of the members of the security apparatuses.
• 59.3% of respondents believed that what happened in the Gaza Strip was directed by outside incitement.
• 54.2% of respondents believed that the incidents that took place in the campuses of An-Najah, Birzeit, and Hebron universities were premeditated.
• 46.9% of respondents believed that Al-Qassam Brigades will resume firing rockets from the Gaza Strip against Israel after the domination of Hamas on the Strip.
• 53.1% of respondents expressed fear that what happened in the Gaza Strip may be transferred to the West Bank.
• 57.4% of respondents expressed fear for their lives under the present circumstances.
• 67.9% of respondents said that they are pessimistic of the general Palestinian situation at this stage.
• 79.4% 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:

The General Results of the Poll

Do you believe that the PLO is the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people?

Do you believe that there is a need to reconstruct the institutions of the PLO?

Do you think that there is a need to add Hamas to the institutions of the PLO?

Do you think that Hamas is serious in its demands to join the PLO?

More than one spokesperson of Hamas declared that the PLO institutions are illegitimate and do not represent the Palestinian people. Do you support or reject Hamas' position?

Do you think that the security conditions in the Gaza Strip after the dominance of Hamas are -----?

Do you believe that the security situation in the Gaza Strip was in a better condition before Hamas took over.

Do you think what Hamas did was a coup against the Palestinian legitimacy?

There are those who say that Hamas is endeavoring to create an entity for itself in the Gaza Strip in isolation from the West Bank. What do you think?

Do you think that Hamas is capable off managing the affairs of people in the Gaza Strip?

Hamas has declared that it will not recognize the legitimacy of the government that President Mahmoud Abbas formed. Do you support or reject Hamas' position?