in cooperation with Al-Sharq Al-Awsat
Introduction
-
The Jerusalem Media and Communciation Centre conducted a
poll on the political views and concerns of a random sample of 489 East
Jerusalem residents from 24-25 August. The survey was conducted in 26 neighbourhoods
throughout the occupied city.
-
The poll's results show that East Jerusalemites are determined
that they will not continue to live under Israeli Occupation, with 62.8
percent of respondonts saying they prefer war over continued Israeli control
over their city.
-
In addition, 84,3 percent said they disagree with the decision
of some Jerusalemites to obtain Israeli citizenship. Nearly half, 49.9
percent, said they would approve of putting Jerusalem under international
supervision.
-
Palestinians in East Jerusalem were generally optimistic
about the Palestinian future, with 54,4 percent saying they are somewhat
or very optimistic, although only 42.2 percent said they were optimistic
about the issue of Jerusalem, specifically.
-
Respondents were also generally critical of the Palestinian
Authority: 49.7 percent said the PA is not doing enough for Jerusalem.
-
However, people were divided over PA head Yasser Arafat's
performance, as 43.7 percent said it was good or very good. Another 48.7
percent described his performance as average, bad or very bad.
56.8 percent prefer Jerusalem as a capital for two states,
either unified or divided and a mere 0.4 percent say Jerusalem should be
the unified capital of Israel. 23.3 percent of the respondents prefer Jerusalem
to be an international city.
Methodology
A random sample of 489 Jerusalem Palestinians over the
age of 18 years, were interviewed face-to-face throughout the Jerusalem
District on 24 & 25 August 1995. The interviews were conducted in randomly
selected homes, and the subjects inside each home were also selected randomly
according to Kish tables methods.
The poll was conducted by JMCC in cooperation with Al-Sharq
Al-Awsat Newspaper in London. It aimed to study the opinions of Jerusalem
Palestinians on the future of Jerusalem and the peace process. All districts
East Jerusalem neighbourhoods were selected in this survey and the number
of respondents in each neighbourhood was based on the population size of
that neighbourhood. Population size was based on the figures of the Palestine
Statistics Bureau. The following are the areas of Jerusalem that were included
in the survey: Old Beit Hanina, Um Touba, Sheikh Sa'ad, Hizma, Z'aim, Sheikh
Jarrah, Al-Thouri, Kufur Aqab, Qalandia, Al-Swahreh, Sur Baher, Al-Tour,
Wadi Aljouz, Shu'fat RC, Issawieh, Anata, Old City, Jabal Al-Mukabber,
Abu Deis, Bethany, Shu'fat, Beit Hanina, Al-Ram, Dahiat Al-Bareed, and
Silwan.
Sample Distribution
-
53.4% were male
-
46.4% were female
-
88.1% were Muslim
-
10.4% were Christian
-
Average age of respondents: 32
-
The average years of schooling 10.5 years
-
60.3% never enrolled in a college or university
Occupation respondents
Students 11.9%
Waged labourers 11.5%
Housewives 23.3%
Employees eg. secretaries/teachers/nurses/municipal employees
8.4%
Businessmen/private business 6.3%
Craftsmen 9.0%
Professionals - eg. doctors/lawyers/pharmacists/engineers
9.0%
Unemployed 4.3%
Retired 1.6%
Other/No answer 14.7%
Results
Q.1 How do you feel about the future of the Palestinians
one year after self-rule began in Gaza and Jericho?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Very optimistic |
10.0%
|
10.7%
|
5.9%
|
| Somewhat optimistic |
44.4%
|
42.7%
|
62.7%
|
| No opinion |
8.6%
|
9.9%
|
2.0%
|
| Somewhat pessimistic |
24.1%
|
24.1%
|
21.6%
|
| Very pessimistic |
12.9%
|
1.2%
|
7.8%
|
Q.2 More than three years since the peace process began,
how do you feel about Jerusalem?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Very optimistic |
8.0%
|
9.0%
|
---
|
| Somewhat optimistic |
34.4%
|
34.3%
|
31.4%
|
| No opinion |
24.7%
|
23.9%
|
21.6%
|
| Somewhat pessimistic |
21.9%
|
22.0%
|
21.6%
|
| Very pessimistic |
11.1%
|
10.6%
|
11.7%
|
Q.3 Do you think the Palestinian Authority is doing enough
on the issue of Jerusalem?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Yes |
38.9%
|
40.8%
|
25.5%
|
| No |
49.7%
|
47.3%
|
60.8%
|
| No opinion |
11.4%
|
10.9%
|
13.7%
|
Q.4 Do you accept giving up the "1948 lands" in return
for a final solution in which the Palestinians will have their own state
in the West Bank and Gaza, with Jerusalem as its capital (1967 borders)?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Yes |
39.1%
|
36.7%
|
60.8%
|
| No |
54.4%
|
57.3%
|
31.4%
|
| No opinion |
6.5%
|
10.9%
|
7.8%
|
Q.5 How would you describe President Yasser Arafat's performance
as the head of the Palestinian Authority?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Very good |
15.7%
|
16.5%
|
9.8%
|
| Good |
28.0%
|
26.9%
|
39.2%
|
| Average |
28.2%
|
28.5%
|
29.4%
|
| Bad |
11.7%
|
10.4%
|
17.6%
|
| Very bad |
8.8%
|
10.0%
|
---
|
| No answer |
7.6%
|
7.7%
|
3.9%
|
Q.6 Given the current situation, do you approve of the
continuation of Hamas and Islamic Jihad's suicide operations against Israeli
targets?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Yes |
24.3%
|
26.0%
|
9.8%
|
| No |
62.2%
|
60.8%
|
78.4%
|
| Other |
1.2%
|
1.1%
|
2.0%
|
| No opinion |
12.3%
|
12.1%
|
9.8%
|
Q.7 Which passport would you prefer to have?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Jordanian |
16.4%
|
14.8%
|
29.4%
|
| Israeli |
9.2%
|
9.0%
|
9.8%
|
| Palestinian |
66.1%
|
68.0%
|
51.0%
|
| No opinion |
8.4%
|
8.1%
|
9.8%
|
Q.8 If Israeli elections for the Jerusalem Municipality
were held today, would you participate?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Yes |
13.1%
|
12.8%
|
--
|
| No |
83.2%
|
83.8%
|
82.4%
|
| No opinion |
3.7%
|
3.4%
|
3.9%
|
Q.9 To what extent is it true that the way the Palestinians
landlords in Jerusalem dealt with their tenants contributed to the city's
eviction of its Palestinian occupants?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Very true |
54.8%
|
56.1%
|
47.1%
|
| Somewhat true |
30.1%
|
29.7%
|
33.3%
|
| It had no effect |
11.2%
|
10.9%
|
13.7%
|
| No opinion |
3.9%
|
3.2%
|
5.9%
|
Q.10 What, would you say, is the main problem which Palestinian
Jerusalem residents face?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Taxes |
22.5%
|
22.5%
|
23.5%
|
| Housing/Building permits |
25.6%
|
25.1%
|
33.3%
|
| Closure/Feeling of isolation |
16.0%
|
15.8%
|
15.6%
|
| Settlements/Occupation |
7.1%
|
8.1%
|
--
|
| General situation |
11.7%
|
11.4%
|
11.8%
|
| Racism |
3.9%
|
3.5%
|
7.8%
|
| Other (including imprisonment, drugs and social breakdown) |
5.4%
|
5.5%
|
6.0%
|
| No opinion |
7.8%
|
8.1%
|
2.0%
|
Q.11 Do you agree with the steps taken by some Jerusalem
Palestinians, who have obtained Israeli passports?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Yes |
10.6%
|
10.4%
|
11.8%
|
| No |
78.9%
|
80.8%
|
72.5%
|
| No opinion |
10.5%
|
9.5%
|
15.7%
|
Q.12 Do you believe it is possible to reach a just and
comprehensive political solution while there are still Israeli settlements
in East Jerusalem?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Yes |
9.8%
|
9.0%
|
15.7%
|
| No |
84.3%
|
85.4%
|
76.5%
|
| No opinion |
5.9%
|
5.5%
|
7.8%
|
Q.13 Would you approve putting Jerusalem under international
supervision?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Yes |
49.9%
|
47.3%
|
60.8%
|
| No |
46.2%
|
47.8%
|
37.3%
|
| No opinion |
3.9%
|
9.0%
|
2.0%
|
Q.14 What, in your opinion, is the best and final solution
to the Jerusalem problem?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Unified capital of Israel |
0.4%
|
0.5%
|
--
|
| East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian State |
41.5%
|
43.4%
|
25.5%
|
| International Jerusalem |
23.3%
|
21.8%
|
35.3%
|
| Jerusalem as an open city and a capital of the two states |
15.3%
|
14.2%
|
25.5%
|
| West Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, the Old City
is under a joint sovereignty, and East Jerusalem is under Palestinian sovereignty |
6.7%
|
6.7%
|
6.8%
|
| Other |
7.0%
|
7.7%
|
2.0%
|
| No opinion |
5.7%
|
5.7%
|
3.9%
|
Q.15 How long, do you think, will it be before there is
a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| Less than 10 years |
28.5%
|
28.7%
|
30.0%
|
| 10-20 years |
16.5%
|
16.0%
|
19.6%
|
| 20-50 years |
9.8%
|
10.8%
|
9.8%
|
| 50-100 years |
2.6%
|
2.5%
|
3.9%
|
| Many years |
13.4%
|
13.0%
|
13.5%
|
| Never |
9.2%
|
9.3%
|
9.6%
|
| No opinion |
20.0%
|
18.8%
|
13.6%
|
Q.16 If you havea choice between war and continued Israeli
control over Jerusalem, what will you choose?
|
Total
|
Muslims
|
Christians
|
| War |
62.8%
|
67.7%
|
21.6%
|
| Continued Israeli control |
16.0%
|
14.4%
|
27.5%
|
| No opinion |
21.2%
|
17.9%
|
51.0%
|
