Background

After Israel banned sending fuel and victuals to the Gaza Strip except in limited amounts, it launched a military attack on the Strip. Several countries and organizations condemned the attack and the Palestinian Authority (PA) suspended peace talks with Israel. Since the cessation of the Israeli military attack on the Gaza Strip, conditions relating to the siege are still the same and one of the residents of East Jerusalem made an attack inside West Jerusalem.

The internal Palestinian crisis still persists; both of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas continue to adhere to their positions towards solutions to end the crises. Yemen has made an initiative to end the crises and representatives of both Fateh and Hamas headed to Yemen to negotiate on the principles of the Yamani initiative. 

The Results

Following are the results of the Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No. 33 conducted by the Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah National University during the period from 20-22 January 2008. The University sponsors all polls conducted by its Center.

Palestinian public opinion poll no. 33 undertakes the current political realities especially the incidents that took place in Gaza, the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip by Israel, in addition to political affiliations. This poll includes a special section on seismic awareness among Palestinian people.

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 800 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 3.4% 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:

• 48.3% of respondents supported continuing negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, 49.4% rejected.
• 55.1% of respondents supported firing rockets from the Gaza Strip against Israel by Palestinian factions; 41.8% rejected.
• 59.7% of respondents supported a comprehensive and simultaneous ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
• 11% of respondents believed that Israel, especially after the last military operations in the Gaza Strip, is really concerned with creating peace with the Palestinian Authority, 80.1% believed the opposite.
• 84.3% of respondents supported restoring dialogue between the Palestinian Presidency in Ramallah and the dissolved government in the Gaza Strip.
• 45.9% of respondents believed that Fateh is genuinely concerned with a serious dialogue with Hamas.
• 41.5% of respondents believed that Hamas is genuinely concerned with a serious dialogue with Fateh.
• 56.6% of respondents supported President Abu Mazen's conviction that going back to dialogue with Hamas must be preceded by a retreat from the "Coup".
• 46.8% of respondents supported Hamas' conviction that going back to dialogue with the Palestinian Presidency must be preceded by dissolving the emergency government and restoring the Government of Ismael Haniyeh for the period of its legal term.
• 45.7% of respondents supported Hamas' belief that there are persons related to the PA who favor the continuation of the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.
• 36.5% of respondents supported the convictions of some PA officials that the reason for the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip is a result of the firing of rockets from the Strip against Israel.
• 14.6% of respondents believed that Israel will stop its aggression against the Gaza Strip if Palestinian factions unilaterally stop firing rockets against Israel; 78.8% believed the opposite.
• 24.9% of respondents believed that Israel is concerned with concluding a ceasefire (Hudna) with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
• 41.6% of respondents believed that Hamas seeks a ceasefire (Hudna) declaration with Israel.
• 45.1% of respondents believed that it is possible in the present time to form a national unity government.
• 73.5% of respondents supported forming a Palestinian rescue national government
• 59.6% of respondents supported a cabinet reform in Salam Fayyad's Government.
• 36.5% of respondents believed that Hamas works towards forming a state in the Gaza Strip
• 29.9% of respondents believed that Hamas works towards forming a small state in the Gaza Strip connected to Egypt.
• 54.3% of respondents supported dissolving the PLC.
• 62.8% of respondents supported conducting early Palestinian Presidential elections.
• 79.6% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming presidential elections. From among those who said they will participate, 35.5% said that they will give their votes to Fateh's candidate; 16.9% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidate.
• 79.6% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming legislative elections. From among those who said they will participate, 36.7% said that they will give their votes to Fateh's candidates; 18.6% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidates.
• If PLC elections are to be conducted, 40.4% of respondents expected the winning of Fateh movement; 20.8% expected the winning of Hamas.
• Regardless of legitimacy or illegitimacy, 46.1% supported the general policy of the government of Salam Fayyad.
• Regardless of legitimacy or illegitimacy, 23.5% supported the general policy of the dissolved government of Ismael Haniyeh.
• 60.4% of respondents supported the notion that Palestinian arms must only be in the hands of the Palestinian security apparatuses.
• If they were employees, 30.6% of respondents accepted early retirement if it were to be offered to them.
• 61.2% of respondents expressed fear for their lives under the present circumstances.
• 66.2% of respondents said that they are pessimistic of the general Palestinian situation at this stage.
• 85% 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:

This section is related to houses and seismic awareness. 

• 39.5% of respondents said that they live in one-storey buildings, 33.2% said they live in two-storey buildings, 16.8%said they live in three-storey buildings, and 10.5% said they live in buildings that consist of four storeys or more (risks of earthquake damages are usually higher in buildings that consist of four storeys or more).
• 26.8% of respondents said that the buildings they live in have one storey or more built by posts and the rest of the storeys are built by both posts and walls.
• 61.7% of respondents believed that our area is subject to earthquakes in the future.
• 83.5% of respondents believed that seismic design of buildings is essential.
• 24.3% of respondents believed that their houses will be safe in case an earthquake occurs.
• 84.7% of respondents preferred to have their houses built with a seismic resistant design even if the cost increases 3-5%.
• 17.5% of respondents believed that the existing buildings will resist relatively strong earthquakes if they occur.
• 52.9% of respondents believed that they have the knowledge on how to behave to protect themselves and their families in case an earthquake occurs.
• 79.3% of respondents believed that engineers and design firms should be obliged to design seismic resistant buildings.
• 88.2% of respondents believed that municipalities should monitor engineers and engineering firms' obligations to design seismic resistant buildings.
• 41.9% of respondents saw that municipalities are the responsible parties that should check engineers' commitment to the design of earthquake resistant structures or at least to achieve the minimal level of seismic design criteria; 46.3% believed that such responsibility should be given to the Engineering Association and 7.9% believed that it should be given to the Civil Defence Directorate.
• 41% of respondents saw that municipalities are the responsible parties that should check on site engineers to make sure that the implementation of earthquake resistant structures are carried out according to the approved designs; 49.9% saw that this matter is the responsibility of the Engineering Association and 5.4% saw that it is the responsibility of the Civil Defence Directorate.
• 36% of respondents said that they heard about Earth Sciences and Seismic Engineering Center at An-Najah National University.