JMCC Public Opinion Poll No. 15

On Palestinian Attitudes Towards

the Peace Process

April 1996

Methodology

A random sample of 1,279 people over the age of 18 were interviewed face-to face throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip on 5-6 April 1996. The interviews were conducted in randomly selected homes, and the subjects inside each home were also selected randomly according to Kish tables. The interviews were conducted in 69 sampling points chosen randomly according to population concentrations. In villages and refugee camps, interviewers were instructed as to which street to take and the method of locating the building from which the household and the respondent are to be selected. As for cities where more than one sampling points were selected, the interviewers were instructed which neighborhood to choose and the manner by which they located the households.

In the West Bank, 842 people were surveyed (including Jerusalem) and 473 were surveyed in the Gaza Strip.

The margin of error is # 3 percent, with a confidence level of 95 percent.

Sample Distribution
  • 48.3% were male
  • 51.7% were female
  • 63.6% were married
  • 29.7% were single
  • 3.4% were widowed
  • 0.9% were divorced
  • 2.4% No answer


    • Local of Respondents - West Bank (including East Jerusalem) 65.9%, Gaza Strip 34.1%

    The average of age of the respondents was 33 years.

    Occupation respondents
  • Students 12.9%
  • Waged labourers 11.1%
  • Housewives 36.0%
  • Businessmen 6.0%
  • Professionals - eg. doctors/lawyers/pharmacists/engineers 2.9%
  • Technicians 2.2%
  • Clerks 15.7%
  • Unemployed 7.9%
  • Retired 1.3%
  • No answer 1.1%


    • Results

    Q.1 How optimistic are you in the future of the Palestinian?
     
    Total 
    Very Optimistic
    22.2%
    Somewhat optimistic
    53.1%
    Pessimistic
    15.1%
    Very pessimistic
    7.3%
    No answer
    2.3%

    Q.2 To what extent do you support or oppose the Palestinian-Israeli Taba agreement on the interim period?
     
    Total 
    Strongly support 
    17.8%
    Somewhat support 
    42.6%
    Do not support 
    15.9%
    Not familiar with it
    18.2%
    No answer
    5.5%

    Q.3 Do you support or oppose the peace process?
     
    Total 
    Support 
    76.9% 
    Oppose
    13.4%
    Other
    0.4%
    No answer 
    9.3%

    Q.4 How would you rate the Palestinian Authority's performance?
     
    Total 
    Good
    31.0%
    Average
    43.8%
    Bad
    20.3%
    Other 0.9%
    No answer  4.9%

    Q.5 How would you rate Yasser Arafat's performance as PA President?
     
    Total 
    Good
    44.8%
    Average
    32.9%
    Bad
    14.9%
    No answer 
    7.4%

    Q.6 Which political or religious party you trust most?
     
    Total 
    Fateh
    33.4%
    Hamas
    7.9%
    PFLP
    1.6%
    DFLP
    0.3%
    Jihad
    1.6%
    PPP
    1.3%
    FIDA
    0.5%
    Democ Coalition
    0.3%
    Islam / Other
    5.9%
    Others
    0.4%
    Do not trust anyone
    29.3% 
    No answer
    17.6%

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