Methodology
A random sample of 1,397 Palestinians, over the age of
18 years, were interviewed face-to-face throughout the West Bank and Gaza
Strip on 15 & 16 June 1995. The interviews were conducted on randomly
selected homes, and the subjects inside each home were also selected randomly
according to Kish tables. The interviews were conducted in 52 sampling
points chosen randomly according to population.
In the West Bank, 892 people were surveyed from the following
areas: Bethlehem: Deiheishe Refugee Camp, Handaza, Jerusalem:
Jabel Mukabber, Sour Baher. Hebron: Halhoul, Hebron, Tarqoumya,
Yatta, Bani Na'im, Jenin: Jenin, Qabatya, Ijjeh, Sansour, Toubas.
Qalqilia:
Qalqilia. Nablus: Nablus, Salem, Abwein, Kufr Ni'meh, Nur Shams
RC and Qafin. Ramallah: Ramallah, Single. Jericho: Jericho.
In the Gaza Strip, 5.5 people were surveyed from: Gaza,
Shate' RC, Nusseirtat, Rafah, Jabalya, Deir al-Balah, Rimal, Asqoula, Beit
Lahia.
The major of error is plus or minus 3% with a confidence
level of 95%.
Sample Distribution
-
63.8% of the respondents were from the West Bank (including
East Jerusalem)
-
36.2% from the Gaza Strip
-
41.2% said they live in villages
-
15.0% in refugee camps
-
43.8% in towns/cities
-
45.7% were male
-
54.7% were female
-
65.7% were married
-
27.0% were single
-
4.0% were widowed
-
1.7% were divorced
-
6.1% No answer
-
The average of age of the respondents was 34 years.
Occupation respondents
Students 7.4%
Waged labourers 12.2%
Housewives 35.7%
Employees eg. secretaries/teachers/nurses/municipal employees
5.2%
Businessmen/private business 4.9%
Farmers/fishermen 1.3%
Craftsmen 8.1%
Professionals - eg. doctors/lawyers/pharmacists/engineers
9.7%
Unemployed 7.9%
Retired 2.1%
Other/No answer 5.5%
Results
Q.1 With the passage of one year of autonomy (Gaza-Jericho),
how do you feel about the Palestinian future? Are you:
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Optimistic |
57.9%
|
52.1%
|
68.1%
|
| Pessimistic |
27.0%
|
29.6%
|
22.6%
|
| Other |
6.7%
|
8.6%
|
3.8%
|
| No opinion |
8.4%
|
9.7%
|
5.5%
|
Q.2 Withthe passage of a year since the implementation
of autonomy, do you feel:
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip |
| More secure |
47.9%
|
35.8%
|
69.3%
|
| Less secure |
20.5%
|
24.9%
|
12.9%
|
| No change |
29.6%
|
36.7%
|
17.2%
|
| No opinion |
2.0%
|
2.7%
|
0.6%
|
Q.3 With the passage of a year since the implementation
of autonomy, how has your support for it changed:
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| I never supported it |
20.7%
|
22.5%
|
17.4%
|
| I used to, and support increased |
27.5%
|
27.5%
|
27.7%
|
| I used to, and my support didn't change |
27.0%
|
23.4%
|
33.5%
|
| I used to, and my support decrease |
15.2%
|
14.3%
|
16.8%
|
| I used to, but now I don't |
3.6%
|
4.4%
|
2.2%
|
| No opinion |
6.0%
|
7.8%
|
2.4%
|
Q. 4 What is your evaluation of the Palestinian National
Authority one year since it began work?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Good |
40.5%
|
40.6%
|
40.4%
|
| Average |
32.3%
|
29.1%
|
38.0%
|
| Bad |
17.0%
|
16.8%
|
17.4%
|
| Other |
2.1%
|
2.7%
|
1.0%
|
| No opinion |
8.1%
|
10.8%
|
3.2%
|
Q.4-a For those who answered "average" or "bad": You evaluate
the authority's performance this way because:
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| The PA's practices |
23.0%
|
20.2%
|
27.8%
|
| The agreement with Israel |
22.6%
|
23.7%
|
20.8%
|
| Israeli measures |
26.1%
|
24.5%
|
28.7%
|
| Donor aid |
8.8%
|
7.7%
|
10.7%
|
| More than one of the above |
5.1%
|
5.8%
|
4.3%
|
| No opinion |
14.3%
|
18.1%
|
7.6%
|
Q.5 How do you evaluate the performance of the following
National Authority apparatuses?
TOTAL
|
Education
|
Health
|
PECDAR
|
Preventive Security
|
Tax Authority
|
Police
|
| Good |
64.9%
|
47.6%
|
28.9%
|
39.0%
|
22.7%
|
49.4%
|
| Average |
22.4%
|
27.3%
|
28.1%
|
21.7%
|
24.2%
|
26.0%
|
| Poor |
5.2%
|
14.2%
|
16.5%
|
21.4%
|
23.2%
|
8.8%
|
| No answer |
7.5%
|
10.9%
|
26.5%
|
17.9%
|
29.8%
|
15.8%
|
Q.6 Negotiations are being held to implement the autonomy
experiment in the West Bank. What is your opinion?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| I support this |
74.9%
|
71.3%
|
81.4%
|
| I oppose this |
15.7%
|
17.8%
|
12.1%
|
| No opinion |
9.4%
|
19.9%
|
6.5%
|
Q.7 Do you believe President Arafat is carrying out his
work as head of the National Authority:
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Well |
52.0%
|
46.7%
|
61.4%
|
| Average |
24.7%
|
26.1%
|
22.2%
|
| Poorly |
13.9%
|
15.8%
|
10.5%
|
| No opinion |
9.4%
|
11.3%
|
5.9%
|
Q.8 After the passage of a year since the return of President
Yasser Arafat and his assumption of the leadership of the Palestinian National
Authority, has your support increased, decreased, not changed or did you
never support him?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| I never supported him |
18.1%
|
19.8%
|
15.0%
|
| I used to, and my support increased |
30.7%
|
29.4%
|
33.1%
|
| I used to, and my support didn't change |
28.8%
|
26.6%
|
32.9%
|
| I used to, and my support decreased |
13.2%
|
13.3%
|
13.1%
|
| I used to, but I don't any more |
2.8%
|
3.7%
|
1.2%
|
| No opinon |
6.4%
|
7.2%
|
4.8%
|
Q.9 After the passage of a year since the return of President
Yasser Arafat and his assumption of leadership of autonomy, how do you
evaluate him in the following areas:
TOTAL
|
PNA Administration
|
Administration of negotiations with Israel
|
Administration of Palestinian Economy
|
Decision-making
|
| Good |
45.2%
|
30.7%
|
24.3%
|
36.5%
|
| Average |
30.2%
|
33.0%
|
31.7%
|
26.7%
|
| Poor |
12.0%
|
26.0%
|
30.0%
|
22.5%
|
| No answer |
12.6%
|
10.3%
|
14.0%
|
14.3%
|
Q.10 If Palestinian political elections are held soon,
do you think President Arafat should nominate himself?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Yes |
67.8%
|
64.5%
|
73.9%
|
| No |
20.6%
|
22.9%
|
16.6%
|
| No opinion |
11.6%
|
13.6%
|
9.5%
|
Q.11 Do you believe President Arafat is a democratic or
undemocratic person?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Yes, democratic |
45.1%
|
41.4%
|
51.7%
|
| No, undemocratic |
24.6%
|
28.0%
|
18.6%
|
| No, but he is justified in being undemocratic |
11.7%
|
10.4%
|
14.1%
|
| Other |
2.0%
|
1.8%
|
2.4%
|
| No opinion |
16.6%
|
18.4%
|
13.3%
|
Q.12 President Arafat has been considered a symbole of
the struggle and aspirations of the Palestinian people and Palestinian
cause. What do you think today?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| He was and still a symbole for the Palestinian people
and cause |
60.9%
|
55.9%
|
69.9%
|
| He is no longer a symbol for the Palestinian people and
cause |
22.5%
|
25.8%
|
16.6%
|
| Other |
4.4%
|
4.3%
|
4.6%
|
| No opinion |
12.2%
|
14.0%
|
8.9%
|
Q.13 Do you agree to giving up the 1948 lands in return
for a final solution stipulating a Palestinian state in West Bank and Gaza
Strip, with Jerusalem as its capital (the 1967 borders)?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Yes |
31.8%
|
30.2%
|
34.9%
|
| No |
60.7%
|
60.2%
|
61.8%
|
| No opinion |
7.5%
|
9.6%
|
3.4%
|
Q.14 Do you believe Jordan deals with the Palestinian
issue:
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| With good intentions |
9.3%
|
10.0%
|
8.1%
|
| With bad intentions |
17.7%
|
18.5%
|
16.4%
|
| According to Jordanian national interests |
65.3%
|
63.6%
|
68.5%
|
| No opinion |
7.7%
|
7.9%
|
6.9%
|
Q.15 Is Rabin sincere about implementing the agreements
he signed with the Palestinian?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Yes |
9.9%
|
9.4%
|
10.9%
|
| No |
80.1%
|
81.3%
|
78.2%
|
| No opinion |
10.0%
|
9.3%
|
10.9%
|
Q.16 If Labor falls and Likud takes over the Israeli government
in the coming elections, do you think the general Palestinian political
situation will:
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Improve |
6.8%
|
7.4%
|
5.7%
|
| Worsen |
47.8%
|
46.5%
|
50.1%
|
| Remain the same |
30.5%
|
31.1%
|
29.7%
|
| No opinion |
14.9%
|
15.0%
|
14.5%
|
Q.17 How much do you trust the intentions of the following
Israeli parties toward the Palestinians:
TOTAL
|
Labor/Yitzhak Rabin
|
Likud/Binyamin Netanyahu
|
Meretz/Yossi Sarid
|
Hadash/Hashem Mahameed
|
Arab Democratic Party/Abdul Wahab Darawshe
|
| Good |
12.3%
|
2.0%
|
18.2%
|
56.9%
|
62.7%
|
| Poor |
7.5%
|
2.0%
|
4.4%
|
5.6%
|
5.4%
|
| Average |
60.2%
|
73.2%
|
44.9%
|
13.1%
|
12.0%
|
| No opinion |
20.0%
|
22.8%
|
32.5%
|
24.4%
|
19.9%
|
Q.18 Do you think armed resistance against Israel is still
legitimate under the current political situation?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Yes |
43.2%
|
46.7%
|
34.7%
|
| No |
43.3%
|
37.7%
|
53.5%
|
| Other |
2.1%
|
1.5%
|
3.2%
|
| No opinion |
12.3%
|
14.1%
|
8.7%
|
Q.19 Do you support continued Hamas and Islamic Jihad
suicide operations against Israeli targets under the current political
situation?
|
Total
|
West Bank
|
Gaza Strip
|
| Yes |
32.8%
|
34.8%
|
29.5%
|
| No |
52.3%
|
48.4%
|
59.2%
|
| Other |
2.2%
|
1.8%
|
3.0%
|
| No opinion |
12.7%
|
15.0%
|
8.3%
|
Q.19-a If you answered yes, why?*
|
Total
|
| It's the best way to regain our rights, no other solution |
24.4%
|
| It's an alternative to the peace process, the peace process
is not in our best interest |
8.3%
|
| Because occupation still exists, to liberate our country |
18.3%
|
| As pressure on Israel |
13.7%
|
| Israel understands only power, because of Israeli provocations,
revenge |
18.1%
|
| For the sake of Islam, to liberate Islamic holy sites |
9.4%
|
| Other |
5.4%
|
| No opinion |
2.4%
|
Q.20 What are the two political or religious factions
you trust the most?
|
Total
|
| Fateh |
46.6%
|
| Hamas |
18.2%
|
| PFLP |
4.4%
|
| DFLP |
0.7%
|
| Jihad |
4.3%
|
| People's Party |
1.4%
|
| FIDA |
0.3%
|
| Other Islamic Groups |
1.1%
|
| 'Pro-peace' secularists |
0.4%
|
| 'Anti-peace' secularists |
0.1%
|
| Don't trust anyone |
6.4%
|
| No opinion |
16.0%
|
Q.21 What two Palestinian figures do you trust the most?
|
Total
|
| Yasser Arafat |
39.4%
|
| Ahmed Yassin |
10.9%
|
| Haider Abdul Shafi |
7.1%
|
| Faisal Husseini |
3.4%
|
| George Habash |
2.9%
|
| Hanan Ashrawi |
2.9%
|
| Yasser Abed Rabbo |
1.9%
|
| Farouk Qaddoumi |
1.7%
|
| Nabil Sha'ath |
1.6%
|
| Mahmoud Zahhar |
1.0%
|
| Other personalities |
6.9%
|
| No opinion |
20.3%
|
