September 7-9, 2006

Background

Employees at public institutions went into an open strike after six months of not receiving their salaries and after the absence of any hope in the horizon for the Palestinian Government to secure a regular payment of their salaries. The strike was interpreted by some as an attempt to cause the Government to collapse; others saw the strike as a legal right that aims to enable employees to obtain their financial rights without any political intentions.
On the other side of the scene, President Abbas and Prime Minister Hanyyia are leading negotiations to arrive at an agreement to form a national coalition government according to an agenda that would be approved by all Palestinian factions, particularly Hamas and Fateh.
Within the current political, financial and security crisis that the Palestinian people in the 1967 occupied territories are going through, some voices arose calling for a comprehensive solution for all of these problems. Some called for dissolving the Palestinian Authority after questioning its expediency; others called for new Presidential and PLC elections as a possible solution for the deteriorating political, economic and security realities. Such voices, however, fall on deaf ears as the official level is concerned; be it the Presidency or the Government.

The Results

Following are the results of the 23rd Palestinian Public Opinion Poll conducted by the Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah National University during the period from September 7 to 9, 2006. The University sponsors all polls conducted by its Center.
This poll undertakes the Palestinian public opinion with reference to the new political realities, particularly the strike of government employees, the formation of a national coalition government, conducting early presidential and PLC elections, Palestinian views of methods and forms of resistance and an assessment of the performance of Palestinian institutions, particularly universities.
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The opinions represented in the results reflect those of the study; they do not represent by any means the opinion of An-Najah National University.

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 4.7% of the members of the sample refused to answer the questionnaire.

The General Results:

• 66.2% of respondents were pessimistic towards the general Palestinian conditions at this stage.
• 88% of respondents did not feel safe neither for themselves nor for their families and properties under the present circumstances.
• 73.5% of respondents said that their economic situation under the current circumstances is deteriorating.
• 63.8% of respondents supported the strike of the public sector employees; 34.3% rejected it.
• 59% of respondents supported the strike of government school teachers; 39.4% rejected it.
• 92.5% of respondents, regardless of their support or rejection, said that the demands of employees are just; 6.3% said the contrary.
• 54.7% of respondents assessed the position of the Palestinian Government towards the strike as "bad".
• 49.5% of respondents assessed the position of the Palestinian Presidency towards the strike as "bad".
• 51.9% of respondents assessed the position of the PLC towards the strike as "bad".
• 55.4% of respondents believed that the strike is the ideal way for employees to obtain their rights.
• 48.2% of respondents believed that the ideal solution is dissolving the Government if it fails to pay the salaries; 25% believed that the solution lies in the acceptance of the present conditions and the return to work.
• 50.4% of respondents believed that the on-going debate to form a national coalition government will s