JMCC Public Opinion Poll No. 16

On Palestinian Attitudes Towards

Current Issues

August 1996

Methodology

A random sample of 1,178 people over the age of 18 were interviewed fac-to face throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip on 19 and 20 August 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 60 sampling points chosen randomly according to population.

In the West Bank, 737 people were surveyed from the following areas: Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour, Hebron; Jerusalem: Jerusalem, Shufat, Jenin, Jenin Refugee Camp, Nablus, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Tulkarem, Qalqilia, Salfit, and Jericho.

In the Gaza Strip, 441 people were surveyed from: Gaza City, Deir al-Balah, Deir al-Balah RC, Nusseirat RC, Rafah, Jabalya, Jabalya a-Nazala, Jabalya RC, Khan Younis, Khan Younis RC, Rafah, Shati RC, Burij RC, Maghazi RC and 'Abasan.

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

Sample Distribution
  • 44.1% were male
  • 55.9% were female
  • 65.1% were married
  • 29.2% were single
  • 3.7% were widowed
  • 1.2% were divorced
  • 0.8% No answer


    • Local of Respondents - West Bank (including East Jerusalem) 62.5%, Gaza Strip 37.4%

    The average of age of the respondents was 34 years.

    Occupation respondents
  • Students 10.3%
  • Waged labourers 10.6%
  • Housewives 39.7%
  • Businessmen 2.1%
  • Professionals - eg. doctors/lawyers/pharmacists/engineers 3.1%
  • Technicians 4.6%
  • Clerks 14.2%
  • Farmers 1.7%
  • Self employed 3.4%
  • Unemployed 7.8%
  • Retired 0.6%
  • No answer 1.1%


    • Results

    Q.1 In general, what is the extent of your optimism about the Palestinian future. Would you say you are very optimistic, somewhat optimistic, optimistic, pessimistic, or very pessimistic?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Very optimistic
    21.1% 
    19.7%
    23.4%
    Somewhat optimistic 
    51.7%
    49.0%
    56.2%
    Pessimistic
    19.1%
    22.9%
    12.7%
    Very pessimistic
    5.6%
    5.2%
    6.3%
    No opinion
    2.5%
    3.3%
    1.4%

    Q.2 In general, how do you evaluate your feeling of security after the PA assumed its responsibilities in most of the areas in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip? Would you say your feeling of security is better than before redeployment, worse than before redeployment, or did it not change?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    		 Gaza Strip 
    Better
    68.1%
    50.3%
    76.9%
    Worse
    9.9%
    8.7%
    9.1%
    Did not change 
    18.7%
    20.5%
    11.1%
    No opinion
    3.3%
    20.5%
    2.9%

    Q.2-1 A considerable period has elapsed since the PA took over a unumber of responsibilities in many areas in the West Bank and Gaza. To what extent would you say that you support similar changes in your area? Would you say you strongly support that, cautiously support them, or strongly oppose them? Question was asked in Hebron and in Jerusalem.
     
    Jerusalem 
    Hebron 
    Strongly support
    9.6% 
    33.3%
    Somewhat support 
    45.8%
    24.6%
    Absolutely do not support 
    15.7%
    25.4%
    No opinion
    28.9%
    16.7%

    Q.3 Given the time elapsed since the signing of Oslo II (The Taba Agreement), to what extent can you say you are for or against the agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israel?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Strongly support 
    25.0% 
    20.9%
    31.7%
    Somewhat support 
    41.9%
    42.7%
    40.6%
    Did not support
    20.8%
    22.9%
    17.2%
    No opinion
    12.3%
    13.4%
    10.4%

    Q.4 How do you evaluate the performance of the Palestinian Authority? Would you say its performance is good, average, or poor?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Good
    31.1% 
    28.4%
    35.6%
    Average
    45.8% 
    44.1%
    48.8%
    Poor
    16.5% 
    19.7%
    11.1%
    No opinion 
    6.6%
    7.9%
    4.5%

    Q.5 How do you evaluate the performance of the following bodies? (TOTAL)
     
    Good
    Average 
    Poor
    No opinion 
    The Security apparatuses
    34.6%
    33.8%
    19.3%
    12.3%
    The Legislative Council
    21.6%
    31.1%
    17.1%
    30.2%
    The Executive Authority (the Cabinet) 
    19.4%
    31.7%
    14.5%
    34.4%
    Palestinian educational institutions
    57.2% 
    30.1%
    6.7%
    5.9%
    Palestinian health institutions
    44.8%
    32.8%
    15.9%
    6.5%
    Palestinian Television
    42.1%
    18.7%
    9.8%
    29.5%
    Palestinian Radio
    54.2%
    21.6%
    4.2%
    19.9%

    Q.5 How do you evaluate the performance of the following bodies? (WEST BANK)
     
    Good
    Average 
    Poor
    		 No opinion 
    The Security apparatuses
    33.1%
    32.7%
    21.3%
    12.9%
    The Legislative Council
    19.5%
    31.9%
    17.8%
    30.8%
    The Executive Authority (the Cabinet) 
    17.8%
    33.5%
    17.0%
    31.8%
    Palestinian educational institutions
    50.5% 
    33.4%
    8.5%
    7.6%
    Palestinian health institutions
    38.4%
    35.5%
    17.9%
    8.1%
    Palestinian Television
    26.9%
    18.0%
    12.5%
    42.6%
    Palestinian Radio
    57.4%
    23.5%
    4.7%
    14.4%

    Q.5 How do you evaluate the performance of the following bodies? (GAZA STRIP)
     
    Good
    Average 
    Poor
    		 No opinion 
    The Security apparatuses
    37.2%
    35.6%
    15.9%
    11.3%
    The Legislative Council
    25.2%
    29.7%
    15.9%
    29.3%
    The Executive Authority (the Cabinet) 
    22.2%
    28.6%
    10.4%
    38.8%
    Palestinian educational institutions
    68.5% 
    24.7%
    3.6%
    3.2%
    Palestinian health institutions
    55.6%
    28.1%
    12.5%
    3.9%
    Palestinian Television
    67.6%
    19.7%
    5.2%
    7.5%
    Palestinian Radio
    48.8%
    18.6%
    3.4%
    29.3%

    Q.6 Do you think that President Yasser Arafat is conducting his functions as the head of the Palestinian Authority in a good way, bad way, or average way?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Good
    56.5%
    47.1%
    72.3%
    Average
    23.9%
    28.4%
    16.6%
    Poor
    9.3%
    12.8%
    3.6%
    No opinion
    10.2%
    11.8%
    7.5%

    Q.7 To what extent would you say that the Palestinian Legislative Council represents the aspirations of the Palestinian people? Would you say that it represents the people in a good way, represents the people but with neutral effect, or would you say that the Council represents the people badly?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Represent the people well
    23.8%
    22.1%
    26.5%
    Represent the people but with no effect 
    46.7%
    45.3%
    49.0%
    Represents the people badly
    10.8%
    13.8%
    5.7%
    No opinion
    18.8%
    18.7%
    18.8%

    Q.8 Would you say that you are well informed about the work of the Legislative Council, only reasonably informed, or not informed at all?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Well informed
    8.2%
    7.1%
    10.2%
    Informed but not enough
    44.8% 
    44.8%
    44.9%
    Not informed at all
    39.6%
    39.9%
    39.0%
    No Opinion
    7.4%
    8.3%
    5.9%

    Q.9 How do you follow the work of the Council? Do you follow it via local newspapers, radio, TV or via friends and acquaintances, or via other means?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Newspapers 
    17.6%
    20.9%
    12.0%
    Radio
    14.1%
    18.9%
    6.1%
    TV
    24.4%
    14.5%
    40.8%
    Friends and acquaintances 
    7.6%
    7.6%
    7.7%
    More than one of the above
    9.9%
    11.1%
    8.0%
    No answer
    26.4% 
    27.0%
    25.4%

    Q.10 If you wanted to get in touch with a Council member for assistance on some matter, would you say that accessibility to them is difficult or easy?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    I find difficulty
    14.5%
    14.0%
    15.4%
    I do not find any difficulty 
    13.7%
    14.1%
    12.9%
    I did not try to contact any CM 
    63.7%
    60.7%
    68.7%
    No answer
    8.1%
    11.3%
    2.9%

    Q.11 Which radio station do you trust most?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Palestine Radio
    33.4%
    33.9%
    32.7%
    Israel Radio
    17.1%
    19.5%
    12.9%
    Radio Jordan
    5.9%
    8.1%
    2.0%
    Egyptian Radio 
    2.4%
    0.7%
    5.2%
    Radio Monte Carlo
    11.2%
    9.0%
    15.0%
    BBC 
    5.3%
    4.7%
    6.3%
    Others
    0.6%
    1.0%
    0.0%
    No answer
    24.2%
    23.1%
    25.8%

    Q.12 Which television station do you trust most?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Palestine TV
    26.5%
    11.1%
    52.2%
    Israel TV
    12.2%
    13.6%
    10.0%
    Jordanian TV
    24.9%
    33.9%
    9.8%
    Egyptian TV
    5.1%
    2.0%
    10.2%
    Middle East Broadcasting Cp. 
    4.5%
    6.9%
    0.5%
    Others
    4.3%
    5.7%
    1.8%
    No answer
    22.5%
    26.6%
    15.7%

    Q.13 In general, would you say that you support or oppose the peace process?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Support the peace process 
    74.3% 
    69.7%
    81.9%
    Oppose the peace process
    14.0%
    15.7%
    11.1%
    No opinion
    11.7%
    14.5%
    7.0%

    Q.14 Which Palestinian political or religious faction do you trust most?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Fateh
    34.0%
    29.3%
    41.7%
    PFLP
    2.8%
    3.3%
    2.0%
    DFLP
    0.2%
    0.3%
    0.0%
    Hamas 
    6.5%
    6.5%
    6.6%
    Islamic Jihad 
    1.4%
    1.1%
    1.8%
    FIDA
    0.6%
    0.9%
    0.0%
    PPP
    1.1%
    1.6%
    0.2%
    I do not trust anyone 
    29.4%
    29.9%
    28.6%
    Others
    2.0%
    2.6%
    0.7%
    No answer
    22.2% 
    24.4%
    18.4%

    Q.15 Which Palestinian personality that you trust most?
     
    Total 
    West Bank 
    Gaza Strip 
    Yasser Arafat
    38.5%
    31.9%
    49.4%
    Ahmed Yassin
    3.0%
    3.4%
    2.3%
    George Habash
    1.4%
    1.8%
    0.7%
    Nayef Hawatmeh
    0.2%
    0.3%
    0.0%
    Yasser Abed Rabbo 
    0.8%
    1.1%
    0.2%
    Haidar Abdul Shafi
    6.4%
    5.0%
    8.6%
    Hanan Ashrawi
    2.6%
    3.3%
    1.6%
    Farouq Qaoumi
    1.0%
    1.1%
    0.9%
    Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) 
    0.9%
    0.8%
    1.1%
    Mahmoud Zahhar
    0.3% 
    0.1%
    0.5%
    Faisal Husseni
    1.5%
    1.6%
    1.4%
    Nabil Sha'ath
    0.4%
    0.3%
    0.7%
    Ahmad Qrie'h
    0.8%
    1.1%
    0.2%
    Do not trust anyone 
    20.5% 
    24.6%
    13.6%
    Others
    7.1%
    6.9%
    7.6%
    No Opinion
    14.8%
    16.8%
    11.3%

    Q.16 To what extent would you say that the present Israeli Government influenced the peace process?

    Would you say it influenced it for the better, for the worse, or it did not influence it?
     
    Total 
    For the better
    7.3%
    For the worse
    62.6% 
    Did not influence it 
    21.3%
    No opinion
    8.8%

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