in cooperation with Middle East Broadcasting Center - MBC
Methodology
A random sample of 1,920 Palestinians, over the age of
18 years, were interviewed throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip on 15/16/17
July 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, 1,246 questionnaires were collected
from the following major towns: Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqilia, Nablus, Ramallah,
Hebron, East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Jericho. In the Gaza Strip, 674questionnaired
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
-
64.9% of the respondents were from the West Bank
-
35.1% from the Gaza Strip
-
29.8% said they live in villages
-
22.3% in refugee camps
-
47.6% in towns/cities
-
79.8% were male
-
20.2% were female
-
62.7% were married
-
35.5% were single
-
1.0% were widowed
-
0.5% were divorced
-
The average of age of the respondents was 31 years.
Occupation respondents
Students 11.8%
Waged labourers 20.9%
Housewives 5.4%
Employees eg. secretaries/teachers/nurses/municipal employees
13.9%
Businessmen/private business 10.9%
Farmers/fishermen 2.6%
Craftsmen 7.8%
Professionals - eg. doctors/lawyers/pharmacists/engineers
11.8%
Unemployed 10.8%
Retired 0.9%
Others 3.2%
Results
Q.1 Have you already looked at the Cairo Agreement (Gaza
- Jericho First)?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Yes |
67.9%
|
68.4%
|
67.0%
|
| No |
30.2%
|
29.5%
|
31.4%
|
| No answer |
1.9%
|
2.1%
|
1.6%
|
Q.2 The Cairo Agreement between the PLO and Israel provides
limited autonomy for the Palestinian in the Gaza and Jericho areas. Do
you personally welcome this agreement?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip |
| Yes |
57.8%
|
56.2%
|
60.8%
|
| No |
37.8%
|
38.7%
|
36.8%
|
| No answer |
4.4%
|
5.1%
|
3.1%
|
Q.3 Two months after the implementation of the Cairo Agreement,
would you say that you are optimistic or pessimistic regarding the future
of the Palestinians?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Optimistic |
53.2%
|
55.2%
|
53.9%
|
| Pessimistic |
31.7%
|
38.7%
|
30.0%
|
| No answer |
14.9%
|
14.5%
|
16.1%
|
Q. 4 What is your opinion in regard to the Cairo Agreement,
would you say you support it, or oppose it?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Support it |
56.5%
|
55.2%
|
58.7%
|
| Oppose it |
34.5%
|
34.6%
|
35.5%
|
| No answer |
9.0%
|
10.2%
|
6.8%
|
Q.5 If you support the peace process in principle, would
you say that the Cairo Agreement...
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Increased your support |
34.3%
|
33.3%
|
36.1%
|
| Reduced your support |
13.8%
|
14.0%
|
13.2%
|
| Did not effect your position |
28.4%
|
27.8%
|
29.4%
|
| I have never been a supporter of the peace process |
18.5%
|
19.1%
|
17.5%
|
| No answer |
5.0%
|
5.8%
|
3.7%
|
Q.6 Taking the latest developments into consideration,
how has your attitude towards the PLO changed?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| My support of the PLO increased |
34.8%
|
33.9%
|
36.4%
|
| My support of the PLO declined |
18.1%
|
19.3%
|
15.8%
|
| My support of the PLO did not change |
41.1%
|
40.4%
|
42.3%
|
| No answer |
6.0%%
|
6.3%
|
5.5%
|
Q. 7 After having assumed power in the autonomous areas
of the Gaza Strip and the Jericho areas, what do you think? Does the PLO
exercise authority in a:
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Good way |
52.8%
|
49.9%
|
58.2%
|
| Bad way |
21.4%
|
20.6%
|
22.9%
|
| No answer |
25.8%
|
29.5%
|
18.9%
|
Q. 8 Which of the following factions do you support?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Fateh |
40.9%
|
42.2%
|
38.5%
|
| Hamas |
10.8%
|
9.2%
|
13.5%
|
| PFLP |
6.9%
|
5.9%
|
8.8%
|
| Palestinian People's Party |
4.0%
|
4.3%
|
3.4%
|
| Jihad Movement |
3.2%
|
2.8%
|
4.0%
|
| FIDA |
2.4%
|
2.3%
|
2.5%
|
| DFLP |
2.2%
|
2.3%
|
1.9%
|
| Independent |
16.8%
|
17.7%
|
15.0%
|
| No answer |
12.9%
|
13.2%
|
12.3%
|
Q. 9 Would you say that the return of Yasser Arafat and
the Palestinian leadership...
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| made you more confident and optimistic of the future |
55.1%
|
51.4%
|
62.1%
|
| Made you more anxious and pessimistic of the future;
or |
13.9%
|
16.7%
|
8.5%
|
| Did not change your feelings in regard to the future
at all |
31.0%
|
31.9%
|
29.4%
|
Q. 10 Currently, there are negotiations to implement the
self-rule experience to the rest of the West Bank. Would you support a
similar agreement for the West Bank or would you oppose it?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Support it |
70.2%
|
68.5%
|
73.1%
|
| Oppose it |
21.1%
|
21.8%
|
19.9%
|
| No answer |
8.7%
|
9.7%
|
7.0%
|
I will read a few statements about the agreements between
Israel and the PLO. Please tell me if you agree or disagree with each statement.
Q. 11 The PLO should try to make agreements with Israel,
even if such agreements bring slight changes:
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Agree |
59.2%
|
56.0%
|
65.2%
|
| Disagree |
36.4%
|
39.1%
|
31.4%
|
| No answer/No opinion |
4.4%
|
4.9%
|
3.4%
|
Q. 12 The PLO should try to make agreements with Israel,
even if some key issues, like Jerusalem, are negotiated later:
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Agree |
30.8%
|
27.2%
|
37.4%
|
| Disagree |
64.5%
|
67.6%
|
58.8%
|
| No answer/ No opinion |
4.7%
|
4.7%
|
3.8%
|
Q. 13 The PLO should not make any agreement with Israel
at all:
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Agree |
26.9%
|
26.1%
|
28.2%
|
| Disagree |
65.3%
|
66.0%
|
64.0%
|
| No answer/ No opinion |
7.8%
|
7.9%
|
7.8%
|
Judging from his speeches, statements, and actions,
what is your opinion on the seriousness of Yasser Arafat in the following
issues:
Q. 14 Prisoners
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Serious |
63.2%
|
62.4%
|
64.6%
|
| Not serious |
39.1%
|
28.7%
|
29.9%
|
| No answer/ No opinion |
7.7%
|
8.9%
|
5.5%
|
Q. 15 Jerusalem
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Serious |
43.7%
|
44.9%
|
51.6%
|
| Not serious |
41.2%
|
42.6%
|
38.6%
|
| No answer/ No opinion |
11.5%
|
12.5%
|
9.8%
|
Q.16 Refugee
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Serious |
46.5%
|
45.4%
|
48.4%
|
| Not serious |
39.9%
|
40.6%
|
38.6%
|
| No answer/ No opinion |
13.6%
|
14.0%
|
12.9%
|
Q. 17 Economy
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Serious |
57.3%
|
61.5%
|
49.6%
|
| Not serious |
26.4%
|
23.9%
|
31.1%
|
| No answer/ No opinion |
16.3%
|
14.6%
|
19.3%
|
What is your opinion in regard to the performance and
effectiveness of the following new agencies:
Q. 18 Palestinian Council
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Good |
45.4%
|
42.2%
|
51.4%
|
| Bad |
22.0%
|
22.0%
|
22.1%
|
| No answer/ No opinion |
32.6%
|
35.8%
|
26.4%
|
Q.19 Palestinian Police
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Good |
71.9%
|
67.3%
|
80.2%
|
| Bad |
12.8%
|
13.6%
|
11.3%
|
| No answer/ No opinion |
15.3%
|
19.0%
|
8.5%
|
Q. 20 Preventive Security Service
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Good |
43.2%
|
41.8%
|
45.9%
|
| Bad |
26.7%
|
26.9%
|
26.4%
|
| No answer/ No opinion |
30.0%
|
31.3%
|
27.7%
|
Q. 21 PECDAR
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Good |
30.7%
|
33.3%
|
24.1%
|
| Bad |
22.9%
|
19.1%
|
29.9%
|
| No answer/ No opinion |
46.4%
|
46.6%
|
46.0%
|
