JMCC Public Opinion Poll No. 4

On Palestinian Attitudes to the PLO-ISRAELI Agreement

January 1994

in cooperation with CNN and MBC

Methodology

A random sample of 1,622 Palestinians, over the age of 18 years, were interviewed throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip on 8/10/11 January 1994. The interviews were conducted on a face-to-face basis with people who visited general service offices to fill out application forms for their identity cards, travel documents, birth registrations, etc, in the main towns. The interviewers reported that some people filled out their questionnaire by themselves in the presence of the interviewer.

In the West Bank, 1,110 questionnaires were collected from the following major towns: Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqilia, Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Jericho. In the Gaza Strip, 512 questionnaired were received from: Gaza, Khan Younis, Rafah, Deir Al-Balah, Beit Hanoun, Jabalia and the Central Refugee Camp areas.

The major of error is plus or minus 3% with a confidence level of 95%.

Sample Distribution
Occupation respondents
  • Students 11.9%
  • Waged labourers 16.3%
  • Housewives 6.7%
  • Employees eg. secretaries/teachers/nurses/municipal employees 22.2%
  • Businessmen/private business 10.9%
  • Farmers/fishermen 2.4%
  • Craftsmen 11.1%
  • Professionals - eg. doctors/lawyers/pharmacists/engineers 9.1%
  • Unemployed 8.2%
  • Retired 0.9%
  • Others 0.3%


    • Results

    Now that four months have passed since the signing of the Declaration of Principles between the PLO and Israel (Gaza-Jericho First), many developments have taken place in the peace negotiations and in the internal political situation. There is now a growing debate in the Palestinian community on these developments. Your assistance with the poll will help us understand the opinions of the Palestinian people to enable us to better evaluate the future.

    Q.1 Would you say that you are optimistic or pessimistic regarding the future of the Palestinian in the coming new year?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Very optimistic
    18.6% 
    17.0%
    21.9%
    Somewhat optimistic 
    38.7%
    36.8%
    42.6%
    Pessimistic
    3.7%
    40.0%
    32.8%
    Other
    2.2%
    2.7%
    1.2%
    No answer
    2.8%
    3.4%
    1.6%

    Q.2 Now that four months have passed since the signing of the Declaration of Principles, What is your opinion?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    		 Gaza Strip 
    Support it
    45.3%
    42.2%
    52.1%
    Oppose it
    39.8%
    42.0%
    35.0%
    Other 
    8.5%
    8.9%
    7.6%
    No answer 
    6.4%
    6.9%
    5.3%

    Q.3 Has your position changed on the Declaration of Principles (Gaza - Jericho First)?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    My support increased 
    9.8%
    9.4%
    10.7%
    My support decreased 
    24.3%
    24.7%
    23.4%
    My support remained the same 
    26.1%
    23.7%
    31.3%
    My opposition increased
    22.6% 
    23.6%
    20.5%
    My opposition decreased
    1.4%
    1.7%
    0.8%
    My opposition remained the same 
    11.0%
    11.8%
    9.4%
    No answer / No opinion
    4.7%
    5.1%
    3.9%

    Q. 4 Taking into consideration the latest developments, how has your attitude towards the PLO changed?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    My support to the PLO increased 
    12.6%
    12.8%
    12.1%
    My support to the PLO declined
    30.0%
    33.2%
    23.0%
    My support to the PLO did not change 
    35.9%
    31.4%
    45.9%
    I have never been a supporter of the PLO 
    14.1% 
    13.5%
    15.4%
    No answer/No opinion
    7.4%
    9.1%
    3.5%

    Q.5 Once the PLO assumes power in the Occupied Territory, what is your expectation?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    The PLO will exercise authority in a good way 
    35.9% 
    32.4%
    43.6%
    The PLO will exercise authority in a bad way
    33.0% 
    33.3%
    32.2%
    I have no expectations
    22.4% 
    25.9%
    15.0%
    No answer/No opinion
    8.7% 
    8.4%
    9.2%

    Q.6 What is your opinion on the way chairman Yasser Arafat manages the negotiations with Israel?

    Q. 6a.
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Very good
    12.3%
    9.9%
    17.4%
    Good
    31.3%
    30.1%
    33.8%
    Bad
    44.0%
    45.5%
    40.8%
    No answer 
    12.4%
    14.5%
    8.0%

    Q. 6b.
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Very effective
    9.7%
    7.2%
    15.0%
    Effective
    26.9%
    25.9%
    29.1%
    Not effective
    49.3%
    51.1%
    45.3%
    No answer
    14.1%
    15.7%
    10.6%

    Q. 6c.
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Democratic
    21.8%
    17.7%
    30.7%
    Undemocratic 
    21.1%
    21.2%
    20.9%
    Individualistic
    47.5%
    50.7%
    40.4%
    No answer
    9.6%
    10.4%
    8.0%

    Q. 7 Which of the following factions do you support most?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    DFLP
    2.7%
    3.2%
    1.8%
    Jihad
    5.4%
    4.9%
    6.6%
    Fateh
    40.4%
    37.3%
    47.1%
    People's Party 
    5.2%
    5.6%
    4.3%
    Hamas
    14.2% 
    12.3%
    18.4%
    FIDA
    2.0%
    1.6%
    2.7%
    PFLP
    7.7%
    7.4%
    8.4%
    Other
    9.9%
    12.3%
    4.7%
    No answer
    12.5%
    15.4%
    6.0%

    Q. 8 What is your opinion on the latest demands for reform in the PLO?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Essential
    57.8%
    64.2%
    43.9%
    Essential but it is not the tiem 
    24.3%
    18.6%
    36.5%
    Not essential
    8.4%
    7.6%
    10.4%
    No answer
    9.4%
    9.6%
    9.2%

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