Background

In his last speech at the United Nations (UN), President Mahmoud Abbas asked Israel to shoulder its responsibilities as an occupying authority and noted that Palestinian people will not be committed to carrying out the signed agreements with Israel if Israel does not carry out the agreements it signed with the Palestinian Authority (PA).

In the last meeting of the PLO Central Council, the Council asked the PA to stop security cooperation with Israel and called upon Palestinians to boycott Israeli goods.

As a result to the repeated storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli settlers under the protection of the Israeli police and army, different reactions by Palestinian people ensued. Such reactions were termed as a temporary uprising by some while others saw that they are a third intifada.

After the signed agreement between Fateh and Hamas to end the Palestinian split, nothing was carried out of the agreement other than the formation of a Palestinian coalition government; the other items have not been implemented. 

The Results

Following are the results of the Palestinian Public Opinion Poll no. 51 conducted by the Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-NajahNationalUniversity during the period from 20-22 November 2015. The University sponsors all polls conducted by its Center.

This poll undertakes the Palestinian public opinion in President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech at the UN, the decision made by the PLO to stop security coordination with Israel, the reactions of the Palestinian people to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the boycott campaign of Israeli goods and products in addition to the political affiliations of Palestinian people.

The sample included 1363 persons whose age group is 18 and above and who have the right to vote. The enclosed questionnaire was distributed on 863 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 2.3% 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:

• 52.2% of respondents classified the confrontations that are taking place between Palestinians and Israelis these days as an intifada while 43.7% said that they are a temporary uprising
• 52.1% of respondents supported the rise of a peaceful, unarmed intifada in the Palestinian Territories; 44% rejected that 
• 43.7% of respondents supported the rise of an armed intifada in the Palestinian Territories; 51.4% rejected that 
• 32.4% 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, 21.4% said that an armed intifada would serve the Palestinian cause better, 26.4% said that both forms are useful for the Palestinian cause; 14.5% said that both forms are useless.
• 89.9% of respondents believed that the settlers’ attacks on Palestinian people and their properties are encouraged by the Israeli government and army.
• 79.1% of respondents believed that the Israeli government is capable of putting an end to the settlers’ attacks on Palestinian people and their properties.
• 60.5% of respondents believed that forming local unarmed committees from among the inhabitants of Palestinian villages and towns adjacent to the Israeli settlements will curb the attacks of settlers on Palestinian citizens and their properties.
• 49.4% of respondents said that they themselves will participate in unarmed local committees to put an end to the aggressions of Israeli settlers against Palestinian people and their properties.
• 33.5% of respondents believed that there is a possibility for the creation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders while 58.8% said that there is no such possibility. 
• 45.6% 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 49.5% said that there is no such possibility. 
• 21% 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 72.9% rejected. 
• 20% 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 74.2% rejected. 
• 91.8% of respondents believed that the repeated assaults of settler groups on Al-Aqsa Mosque are encouraged by the Israeli government.
• 81.4% of respondents believed that Arab and Islamic countries should intervene to force the Israeli government to stop settler groups from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque.

• 89% of respondents believed that if repeated assaults on Al-Aqsa Mosque continue, they will be a reason for the rise of a new Palestinian intifada.
• 23.8% of respondents believed that the agreement signed between Jordan and Israel to install cameras in the yards of Al-Aqsa Mosque will curb settler groups assaults on the Mosque.
• 11.4% of respondents believed that Israel will respect the agreement signed with Jordan to install cameras in the yards of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
• 73.7% of respondents supported what president Mahmoud Abbas said in his UN speech with reference to Palestinian non-commitment to the signed agreements with Israel if Israel insists on not committing to them, on not stopping settlement activities and on not freeing prisoners.
• 74.2% of respondents supported what president Mahmoud Abbas said in his UN speech with reference to calling upon Israel to shoulder its responsibilities as an occupying state because the status quo cannot be tolerated.
• 38.2% of respondents considered the declarations that president Mahmoud Abbas made in his UN speech put an end to the Oslo Accords episode.
• 56.1% of respondents supported president Mahmoud Abbas’ call for putting the Palestinian Territories under international protection.
• 34.8% of respondents believed that the PA is capable of carrying out what President Mahmoud Abbas called for in his UN speech.
• 46.9% of respondents supported dissolving the PA and merging its institutions with the PLO institutions; 41.7% rejected.
• 69.8% of respondents supported the decision of the PLO Central Council to cease security coordination between the PA and Israel.
• 27.3% of respondents believed that the PA will implement the decision of the PLO Central Council to cease security coordination between the PA and Israel.
• 43.9% of respondents supported stopping work with the Paris Economic Agreement that is currently effective between the PA and Israel.
• 87.2% of respondents saw that Fateh and Hamas must speed the implementation of the reconciliation agreement.
• 46.8% of respondents said that they are optimistic about the implementation of the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas in the near future while 48.9% said they are pessimistic
• 14.5% of respondents believed that the responsible party for the lack of implementation of the national reconciliation agreement is Hamas, 10.7% said it is Fatah, and 72.5% said it is some persons in Fatah and Hamas.
• 84.2% of respondents supported boycotting Israeli goods and products.
• 53.4% of respondents expected the success and endurance of the Palestinian reconciliation; 41.3% expected its failure. 

• 8.7% of the respondents said that they buy Israeli products in all cases, 49.3% said they buy Palestinian products in all cases, and 36.1% said they buy according to the quality of the item regardless of its origin.

• As for the reason why some persons are not committed to the boycott campaign of Israeli products, they attributed that to the following:

      - 67.7% The lack of trust in the quality of local products

      - 65.9% The consumer culture of some persons

      - 61% The lack of local substitutes of Israeli products

      - 53.1% The high prices of local products

      - 69.7% The continuous availability of the Israeli products

      - 28.2% The Israeli products are their source of income

• 63.9% of respondents assessed the performance of the National Unity Government as good.
• 64.8% of respondents assessed the performance of the Palestinian Presidency as good.
• 38.4% of respondents expected that if elections are conducted in the present time in the PalestinianTerritories, they will be fair.
• 78.4% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming presidential elections. From among those who said they will participate, 30.4% said that they will give their votes to Fateh's candidate; 17% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidate.

• 77.9% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming legislative elections. From among those who said they will participate, 33.7% said that they will give their votes to Fateh's candidates; 18.9% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidates.
• If PLC elections are to be conducted, 32.1% of respondents expected the winning of Fateh movement; 23.6% expected the winning of Hamas.
  • 82.4% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming municipality and local council elections. From among those who said they will participate, 26.9% said that they will give their votes to Fateh’s candidates, 17.5% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidates and 13.7% said they will give their votes to the representative of their family or clan.
• 33.3% of respondents said that the current political, security and economic circumstances compel them to desire emigrating.
• 51.7% of respondents expressed fear for their lives under the present circumstances.
• 64.3% of respondents said that they are pessimistic of the general Palestinian situation at this stage.
• 80.7% 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

How would you classify the confrontations that are going on between the Palestinians and the Israelis these days?

1. Do you support or reject the rise of an unarmed peaceful intifada in the Palestinian Territories? 

1. Do you support or reject the rise of an armed intifada in the Palestinian territories?

1. From your point of view at the present time, which of the following forms of resistance will serve the Palestinian cause best?

Do you think that the aggressions of settlers against the Palestinian people and their properties are encouraged by the Israeli government and Army?

1. Do you think that the Israeli government is capable of putting an end to the settlers’ aggressions against the Palestinian people and their properties?

1. Do you think that the formation of unarmed local committees from among the citizens of villages and towns that are adjacent to the Israeli settlements will curb the aggressions of settlers against Palestinian people and their properties?

1. If local unarmed committees are formed to curb the aggressions against Palestinian people and their properties, will you personally participate in such committees?

Under the current circumstances, do you think that there is an opportunity for the creation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders?

10    Do you support or reject the creation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders as a final solution for the Palestinian cause?

1. Do you support or reject the creation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with some land exchange as a final solution for the Palestinian cause?

1. Do you support or reject the creation of a binational state for both Arabs and Jews as a final solution for the Palestinian cause?

1. Do you think that the continuous assaults on Al-Aqsa Mosque by settler groups are encouraged by the Israeli government?

1. Do you think that the Arab and Islamic states should intervene to force the Israeli government to prevent settler groups from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque?

1. Do you think that if settler groups’ repeated storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque continues, it will lead to a new Palestinian Intifada? 

1. Do you think that the signed agreement between Jordan and Israel to install cameras in the yards of Al-Aqsa Mosque will curb the repeated storming of the Mosque by settler groups?

1. Do you think that Israel will respect the agreement with Jordan to install cameras on the yards of Al-Aqsa Mosque?

1. Do you support or reject what President Abbas said in his speech at the UN regarding Palestinian non-commitment to the signed agreement with Israel as long as Israel is insisting on non-commitment to these agreements and on its refusal to stop settlements and to free prisoners?

1. Do you support or reject what President Abbas said in his speech at the UN regarding asking Israel to take its responsibilities as an occupying authority because the status quo cannot continue to be as it is?

1. Do you consider the declarations that President Abu Mazen made in his speech at the UN an end to the Oslo Accords?

1. Do you support or reject President Mahmoud Abbas’ call to place the Palestinian territories under international protection?

 Do you think that the PA is capable of carrying out what President Mahmoud Abbas said in his UN speech?

1.  Do you support or reject dissolving the PA and merging its administrative and security institutions in the PLO institutions?

24 Do you support or reject the PLO Central Council’s decision on ceasing security coordination between the PA and Israel?

25 Do you think that the PA will implement the PLO Central Council’s decision on ceasing security coordination between the PA and Israel?

26. Do you support or reject revoking the Paris Economic Agreement that is currently effective between the PA and Israel?

27. Under the current circumstances, do you think that Fateh and Hamas should speed up implementing the national reconciliation agreement?

28. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the implementation of the reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas in the near future?

29. In your point of view you, who is responsible for the lack of implementation of the national reconciliation agreement?

30. Do you support or reject boycotting Israeli goods and products?

31 Do you expect the success or the failure of the campaign of boycotting Israeli goods and products in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip?

32. Do you personally buy Israeli products when there are Palestinian substitutes to them?

33. In your point of view, why are many persons not committed to boycotting Israeli products?

(I give the mark of 10, so that it is zero the lowest and 10 the highest)

34.How do you assess the performance of the National Unity Government?

35 How do you assess the performance of the Palestinian Presidency?

36 If elections are to be conducted in the Palestinian Territories at the present time, do you think that they will be fair?

37 If presidential elections are held in the present time, to whom from among the following do you give your vote?

40 If new PLC elections are conducted, whom will you vote for?

41 If new legislative elections are to be held today, which of the following will win?

42 If municipality and local council elections are to be held, who do you vote for?

43 Do the current political, security and economic circumstances compel you to desire emigrating abroad?

44 Are you worried about your life under the present circumstances?

45 Are you pessimistic or optimistic towards the general Palestinian situation at this stage?

46 Under the present circumstances, do you feel that you, your family and your properties are safe?

47 Which of the following political affiliations do you support?