JMCC Public Opinion Poll No. 33 - Part I
On Palestinian Attitudes Towards Politics
October  1999

Introduction

JMCC’s latest poll, conducted on October 21 -22, 1999, did not show any significant change in the support for the Palestinian-Israeli peace process; the poll also tackled the issue of confidence in local and Arab mass media and the performance of the Palestinian National Authority. The results can be summarized in the following main points:
 
 

1- The Political Process:
2- The PNA Performance and Palestinian Factions:
3- Mass Media:

Methodology

A random sample of 1200 people over the age of 18 were interviewed face-to-face throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip on21, 22 October 1999. 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 58 sampling points chosen randomly according to population.

In the West Bank, 762 people were surveyed from the following areas: Jenin: Jenin, Tubas, Jenin refugee camp, Kufr Ra'ii,Arrabeh, Silat al-Harthieh. Nablus: Nablus, Salfit, Huwara, Beit -Dajan, Deir Sharaf, Kufr al Deik, Burin, Askar refugee campZuwwata. Tulkarem: Tulkarem , Tulkarem refugee camp, 'Anabta.Qalqilia: Qalqilia, 'Illar, al - Jayyous.Hebron: Hebron, Sa'eer ,Beit - Ula, Bani N'eim, Dura, Assamou', Tarqoumia, al - Fawwar refugee camp. Bethlehem: Bethlehem, Nahalin, al - Duhha, Husan, al - 'Azzeh refugee camp. Jericho: Jericho and 'Ein al - Sultan refugee camp. Ramallah & Jerusalem: al-Bireh, Jalazon refugee camp, Sinjil, Ni'ilin, Silwad, Shuqba, Old City, al - Dahieh, al - Ram, al - 'Izarieh, Abu Deis, Beit Hanina, Shu'fat, Beir Nabala, Qalandia refugee camp,Kufr Aqab, 'Anata.

In the Gaza Strip, 438 people were surveyed from: Gaza North: Jabalia refugee camp, Jabalia, Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun. Gaza: Sheikh Radwan, a-Darji, a-Tufah, Sabra, al-Meghraqa, a-Zeitoon, a-Nasser, a-Shujaeih, a-Rimal north and south and Shati refugee camp. Deir al- Balah: Nusseirat refugee camp, Deir al-Balah refugee camp, Deir al- Balah. Khan Younis: Khan Younis, Khan Younis refugee camp, Khuza'ah,  al-Qararah and Bani Suheila. Rafah: Rafah, Rafah refugee camp and Tal al-Sultan refugee camp.

The margin of error is +/-3 percent, with a confidence level of 95
Sample Distribution
Results

Q.1 In general, how optimistic or pessimistic are you towards the future?
Total  West Bank  Gaza Strip
Very Optimistic 
7.6
5.8
10.7 
Optimistic
 63.1
65.7
 58.4
Pessimistic
19.9
20.6
 18.8
Very Pessimistic
 8.0
 6.7
10.3
No answer
 1.4
1.2 
 1.8

Q.2 In general, how do you feel about the Israeli - Palestinian peace process?
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Strongly support 
 16.0
 16.6
15.0 
Somewhat support
42.0
45.1
 36.8
Neither support nor oppose
21.8
 21.9
 21.5
Somewhat oppose
9.6
 7.7
 12.8
Strongly oppose
8.5
 6.6
 11.8
No answer
2.1
2.1
2.1

Q.3 In general, how do you evaluate the performance of the Legislative Council?
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Very good 
7.2
 6.4
8.9 
Good
 55.8
 59.9
 48.7
Bad 
 23.8
 22.0
 26.7
Very Bad
8.2
 6.2
11.6
No answer
5.0
5.5
4.1

Q.4 Who is the Palestinian figure you trust the most?
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
 Yasser Arafat
32.0
 32.8
30.6 
Ahmad Yaseen
 6.4
5.1
8.7
 Haydar abdul - Shafi
 5.4
3.8
8.2
Faial al - Husseini
2.3
 2.6
1.6
Hanan 'Ashrawi
2.5
2.6
2.3
Sa'eb Erekat
3.9
4.2
3.4
Other figures
8.8
9.0
8.7
I don't trust anybody
29.9
31.2
27.6
No answer
8.8
8.7
8.9

Q.5 Which political faction do you trust the most?
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
 Fateh
 33.8
 35.0
31.5 
Hamas
11.1
9.4
13.9
PFLP
1.3
 1.3
1.4
Islamic Jihad
1.9
2.1
1.6
Other Islamic factions
2.9
3.4
2.1
Other factions
2.7
3.7
1.3
I don't trust anybody
34.1
33.3
35.4
No answer
12.2
11.8
12.8

Q.6 In general, how do you evaluate people's attitude towards the Peace Process?
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
 They support the Peace Process
33.8
36.2
29.6 
They are hesitant in their attitudes
42.9
43.2
42.5
 They oppose the Peace Process
18.0
16.0
21.5
No answer
5.3
4.6
6.4

Q.7 Since the beginning of the Peace Process, do you think that your feeling of self-security is better than it was before the Peace Process?
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
 It is better
53.5
48.6
62.1 
It didn't change
28.2
32.7
20.3
 It is worse
16.3
16.7
15.5
No answer
2.0
2.0
2.1

Q.8 Some people think that the Palestinian Press is dependant, do you support or oppose this?
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
 The Palestinian Press is dependant
38.5 
36.2
42.6 
In between
26.5
26.8
26.0
 The Palestinian Press is independant 
20.1
20.7
18.9
I don't know
13.1
13.9
11.6
No answer
1.8
2.4
0.9

Q.9 Why do you think the Palestinian Press lacks independance?
 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Censorship and other effects from the Palestinian Authority.
 11.7
14.3
 7.4
Censorship and other effects from Israel.
 13.0
17.4
5.7
 Self censorship from the journalist himself.
1.1
1.0
1.1
Censorship from directors of Media means.
2.6
2.9
2.0
Restrictions from the society.
0.6
0.9
0.3
The level of Palestinian professional journalists is weak.
2.0
2.7
0.9
The financial capabilities of the Palestinian Press is weak. 
2.6
2.9
2.0
Censorship and other effects from the Palestinian Authority + Censorship and other effects from Israel.
13.8
14.8
12.0
Censorship and other effects from the Palestinian Authority + Censorship and other effects from Israel+The financial capabilities of the Plaestinian Press is weak.
1.5
1.4
1.7
Censorship and other effects from the Palestinian Authority + Censorship and other effects from Israel + Censorship from directors of Media means.
2.0
1.5
2.8
Censorship and other effects from the Palestinian Authority + The level of Palestinian professional journalists is weak.
1.6
1.5
1.7
Censorship and other effects from the Palestinian Authority + The financial capabilities of the Palestinian Press is weak.
3.0
0.9
6.6
All the mentioned above.
1.0
1.4
0.3
Censorship and other effects from Israel + The financial capabilities of the Palestinian Press is weak.
2.5
2.0
3.1
Censorship and other effects from the Palestinian Authority + Censorship and other effects from Israe l+ The level of the Palestinian professional journalists is weak.
2.5
1.9
3.4
Censorship and other effects from the Palestinian Authority + Censorship and other effects from Israel+ Self censorship from the journalist himself.
1.2
0.7
2.0
Censorship and other effects from Israel + Self censorship from the journalist himself.
1.3
1.2
1.4
Censorship and other effects from the Palestinian Authority+ Censorship from directors of Media means. 
3.2
1.7
5.7
Censorship and other effects from Israel+ Censorship from directors of Media means.
1.0
0.9
1.1
Censorship and other effects from Israel+ The level of the Palestinian professional journalists is weak
1.2
1.0
1.4
Censorship and other effects from the Palestinian Authority+ Censorship from directors of Media means+ The financial capabilities of the Palestinian Press is weak.
1.3
0.2
3.1
Others
12.2
9.1
18.3
No answer
17.1
17.7
16.0

Q.10 In your opinion, which of the following Palestinian media means is more independant?
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
TV 
17.4 
22.3
8.9 
Radio
12.6
17.2
4.6
Daily Newspapers
20.2
24.8
12.1
There isn't
3.5
4.9
1.1
Others 
0.3
0.4
0.2
I don't know/ No answer
46.0
30.4
73.1

 

Q.11 Among all TV channels, radio stations, and daily newspapers, could you you mention the name of the channel, station, and newspaper, that you think is more independant, you trust more, and those you watch, listen, or read most ?
 TV channel most independant 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Al - Jazira 
 32.8
 33.2
32.0
Israel
8.7
8.0
9.8
MBC
5.1
 6.4
 2.7
Egypt
2.5
1.7
3.9
Jordan
7.3
8.5
5.0
Palestine
13.6
12.1
16.2
CNN
1.4
0.9
2.3
Watan
2.2
2.4
1.8
ANN
1.4
0.7
2.7
LBC
1.6
1.3
2.1
Future
1.1
0.9
1.4
Abu Dhabi
1.6
0.9
2.7
Al - Amal
1.3
1.6
0.9
No channel
1.3
1.4
0.9
Others
6.4
8.8
3.0
No answer 11.7
11.2
12.6

 
 
TV channel you trust most
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
 Al - Jazira
 32.5
 32.3
32.9
Israel
 6.6
 6.0
 7.5
MBC
 6.0
 7.1
 4.1
Palestine
 16.5
 15.5
 18.3
Nablus
 1.3
 2.0
 0.2
Jordan
 7.0
8.7
4.1
CNN
1.7
1.8
1.4
Watan
2.1
2.4
1.6
ANN
1.2
0.8
1.8
Abu Dhabi
1.7
0.5
3.7
Future
1.0
0.9
1.1
Egypt
2.3
1.0
4.3
No channel
2.7
2.5
3.0
Others
5.8
7.0
4.4
No answer
11.6
11.5
11.6

 
TV channel you watch most 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
 MBC
 7.8
8.4
 6.6
Al - Jazira
19.5
20.5
 17.8
 Jordan
11.3
15.2
4.3
Future
1.8
1.8
1.6
Watan
2.6
3.0
1.8
ART
2.0
1.0
3.7
Palestine
19.8
14.8
28.5
Israel
4.8
5.0
4.3
Syria
1.6
2.5
0.0
Nile
1.3
2.0
0.0
Abu Dhabi
1.9
1.3
3.0
Al - Amal
1.8
2.2
1.1
LBC
1.6
0.9
2.7
Al - Salam
1.0
1.6
0.0
Egypt
6.3
3.5
11.2
Others
6.9
7.9
6.1
No answer
8.0
8.4
7.3

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