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. 32

26-28 January 2008

Background

After President Bush's visit to Ramallah which set in motion the permanent status negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, Israel escalated military operations against the Gaza Strip and closed all crossings banning the entrance of fuel and food except in very limited amounts raising danger in the Strip to the level of a human catastrophe that the United Nations agencies warned against.

In the same context the Palestinian Authority warned that the Israeli escalation will jeopardize the negotiations and eventually will stop them. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have called upon President Abu Mazen to stop negotiations dismissing them as useless and absurd.

On the other side of the scene, the Palestinian internal crisis is still going on without any imminent breakthrough; the PA insists on its demand of Hamas to back up from their coup as a precondition for a dialogue while Hamas expresses willingness to conduct a debate without conditions.

The Results

Following are the results of the Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No. 32 conducted by the Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah National University during the period from 26-28 January 2008. The University sponsors all polls conducted by its Center.

Palestinian public opinion poll no. 32 undertakes the current political realities especially the incidents that took place in Gaza, the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip by Israel, the visit of the US President to the West Bank 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 2.7% 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:

• 73.9% of respondents supported handing in the responsibilities of the Gaza Strip crossings to the Palestinian Presidency.
• 54.8% of respondents rejected firing rockets against Israel from the Gaza Strip while 43.7% supported that.
• 43.4% of respondents thought that firing rockets from the Gaza Strip hurts the Palestinian cause while 33.9% thought that they serve the Palestinian cause in a positive way.
• 69.9% of respondents are in favor of giving up firing rockets from the Gaza Strip in return for lifting up the siege.
• 50.7% of respondents believed that if Hamas backs up from its domination over the Gaza Strip, the siege will end.
• 42.7% of respondents rejected attempts of some of Hamas members to storm Rafah Crossing; 52.8% supported.
• 70.7% supported the tendency of the people of Gaza to shop in Rafah and Al-Arish.
• Respondents assessed the reactions of the following bodies to the siege of Gaza as "Good" :

--The Palestinian Authority 46.5%

--The Arab League 27.1%

--Egypt 57.5%

--The Quartet 17%

• From the point of view of respondents the side that contributed to the decision of supplying fuel to Gaza was:

- President Mahmoud Abbas 55.5%

- Egypt 54.8%

- President Abbas and Egypt 60%

- Pure Israeli decision 36.1%

• 24.1% of respondents welcomed US President's visit to the West Bank while 71.3% rejected it.
• 11.4% of respondents saw that the US President was sincere in his promise to help in the creation of a Palestinian state by the end of this year; 80.3% saw the opposite.
• 65.1% of respondents believed that the visit of the US President deepened the internal Palestinian conflict.
• 43.9% of respondents believed that it is possible in the present time to form a national unity government.
• 52.4% of respondents supported dissolving the PLC.
• 65.1% of respondents supported conducting early Palestinian Presidential elections.
• 50.4% of respondents were content with the performance of President Abu Mazen since his election.
• 80.9% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming presidential elections. From among those who said they will participate, 39.5% said that they will give their votes to Fateh's candidate; 16.9% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidate.
• 81.1% of respondents said that they will participate in the coming legislative elections. From among those who said they will participate, 41.7% said that they will give their votes to Fateh's candidates; 17.7% said they will give their votes to Hamas' candidates.
• If PLC elections are to be conducted, 47% of respondents expected the winning of Fateh movement; 18% expected the winning of Hamas.
• Regardless of legitimacy or illegitimacy, 46.5% supported the general policy of the government of Salam Fayyad.
• Regardless of legitimacy or illegitimacy, 29.3% supported the general policy of the dissolved government of Ismael Haniyeh.
• 20.7% of respondents believed that the security conditions in the Gaza Strip after the domination of Hamas are improving; 61.9% said they are deteriorating.
• 55.7% of respondents considered what Hamas did as a coup against Palestinian legitimacy.
• 58.4% of respondents believed that Hamas is endeavoring to create an entity of its own in the Gaza Strip in isolation from the West Bank; 34.5% believed the contrary.
• 28.3% of respondents believed that Hamas is capable of managing the life affairs of the citizens of the Gaza Strip.

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

- Restoring control over the Gaza Strip 67.1%

- Restraining security chaos in the West Bank 81.6%

- Restoring dialogue between Fateh and Hamas 77.8%

- Improving the economic conditions 86.6%

- Securing funds for the salaries of employees 85.8%

• 71.5% of respondents supported the notion that Palestinian arms must only be in the hands of the Palestinian security apparatuses.
• 56.9% of respondents expressed fear for their lives under the present circumstances.
• 61.3% of respondents said that they are pessimistic of the general Palestinian situation at this stage.
• 78.1% 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:

·Now that six months  elapsed the formation of Salam Fayyad's Government, respondents assessed the performance of the following institutions as "good" and "more than good" with the indicated percentages:

The General Results of the Poll

There is a suggestion to hand in the responsibilities of the crossings in the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Presidency. Do you support or reject this suggestion?

Do you support or reject firing rockets from the Gaza Strip against Israel by Palestinian factions?

Do you think that firing rockets from the Gaza Strip against Israel will serve or hurt the Palestinian cause?

Are you in favor of stopping rockets in return for lifting up the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip?

Do you believe that the siege will end if Hamas backs up from its domination over the Strip?

Do you support or reject the attempt by some members of Hamas to open Rafah Crossing by force?

Do you support or reject the tendency of the people of Gaza to shop in Rafah and Al-Arish?

How do you assess the reactions of the following to the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip?

In your opinion, away from what the media undertake with reference to providing Gaza with fuel, who do you think contributed to taking the decision? (Please, give a score on a 0-10 scale)

There are those who welcomed the visit of the US President to the West Bank and there are those who rejected it. Do you support or reject the visit?

Do you think that the US President is faithful in his promise to help in the creation of a Palestinian state by the end of this year?

Do you think that the visit of the US President intensified the internal Palestinian conflict?

Do you think that it is possible in the present time to form a unity government?

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