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JMCC Public Opinion Poll No. 34 - Part Two
On Palestinian - Israeli Attitudes Towards Palestinian Refugees - December 1999


Q. 6 What is the number of refugees who should be allowed to return?
Number of refugees allowed to return
Arab Israelis (N=500)
Israeli Jews (N=500)
Palestinians in West Bank*(N=762)
Palestinians in Gaza (N=438)
None should be allowed to return
0.6
42.7
1.6
0.6
Few hundreds should be allowed to return
1.4
21.9
3.5
2.3
 Few thousands should be allowed to return
4.6
10.7
12.1
8.7
Anyone wishing to return should be allowed to return
82.2
11.5
77.7
82.9
Don't know
9.6
13.1
-
-
No answer
1.6
-
5.1
5.5
Total
100.0%
100.0% 
100.0%
100.0%
 *Including East Jerusalem
 

Q. 7 Where should the Palestinian refugees be permanently settled?
Where Refugees should be resettled
Arab Israelis (N=500)
Israeli Jews (N=500)
Palestinians in West Bank* (N=762)
Palestinians in Gaza (N= 438)
Mainly in their original homes inside Israel
58.2
5.3
53.2
54.9
Mainly in places within the Palestinians state
11.2
32.3
30.3
28.5
Mainly in the Palestinians state and inside Israel
22.6**
-
-
-
Mainly in their present places of residence in the Middle East or elsewhere
2.4
57.2
7.6
6.8
Don't know
4.6
5.2
7.5
8.2
No answer
0.4
-
1.4
1.6
Total
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
*Including East Jerusalem
**Category was included only in the survey of Arab Israelis.
 

Q. 8 Who should compensatethe refugees?
Source of Compensation
Palestinians in Israel (N=500)
Israeli Jews (N=500)
Palestinians in West Bank*(N=762)
Palestinians in Gaza (N=438)
No one
1.2
17.0
2.1
1.1
Israel
69.0
18.3
25.3
13.5
International bodies such as thye UN
8.0
41.3
13.3
15.1
Arab governments
0.6
29.9
5.9
4.8
US
0.2
11.4
-
-
Any combination of the above (indicate which)
12.6
-
49.1**
57.9**
Don't know
7.4
5.7
-
-
No answer
1.0
-
4.1
3.7
Other answers
-
-
0.2
3.9
Total
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
*Including East Jerusalem
**Assignment of blame refelects a combined response of three categories:
Israel + Arab goverments; Israel + International Bodies + arab governments; Israel + International Bodies
 

Q. 9 There are different opinions on the question of who is responsible for the creation of the refugee problem in 1948 - Israel or the Arabs. In your opinion who is the responsible side?
Responsible for Creating the Refugee Problem
Palestinians in Israel (N=500)
Israeli Jews (N=500)
Palestinians in West Bank*(N=762)
Palestinians in Gaza (N=438)
Only Israel
40.6
4.8
16.5
18.3
Mostly Israel
33.0
7.0
34.9
29.2
Israel and the Arab side to the same extent 
9.6
35.0
40.9
45.4
Mostly Arab side
4.6
22.2
-
-
Only the Arab side
0.8
21.1
3.5
4.1
Don't know
10.8
9.9
-
-
No answer
0.6
-
4.2
3.0
Total
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
*Including East Jerusalem
 

Q. 10 According to international law, people who have left their homes voluntarily or by force because of war conditions are entitled to return back once hostilities end. Do you agree or disagree with this principle?
Opinions on International law
Palestinians in Israel (N=500)
Israeli Jews (N=500)
Palestinians in West Bank* (N=762)
Palestinians in Gaza (N=438)
Agree without any qualifications
70.4 
18.2 
55.8 
54.1 
Depending on the circumstances 
 22.4
 51.8
 27.0
 29.0
Do not agree
 1.2
 25.3
 8.4
 5.9
Don't know
 5.0
 4.7
 6.6
 9.6
No answer
 1.0
 -
 2.2
 1.4
Total
 100.0%
 100.0%
 100.0%
 100.0%
*Including East Jerusalem
 

Q. 11 Do you agree or disagree that this principle [of international law] applies to the case of the Palestinian refugees?
Applicability of International Law to Palestinian Case
Palestinians in Israel (N=500)
Israeli Jews (N=500)
Palestinians in West Bank* (N=762)
Palestinians in Gaza (N=438)
Strongly Agree
69.2
10.9
47.1
45.7
Agree
22.8
29.2
33.5
37.2
Disagree
1.6
21.7
8.9
4.3
Strongly Disagree
0.0
29.7
1.0
1.6
Don't know
5.4
8.4
7.0
9.4
No answer
1.0
-
2.5
1.8
Total
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
*Including East Jerusalem
 

Q. 12 What do you think is the overall number of the Palestinian refugees today (the term Palestinian refugees refers to those who left or forced to leave their homes because of the 1948 War and their descendants).
 
Palestinians in Israel (N=500)
Israeli Jews (N=500)
Palestinians in West Bank* (N=762)
Palestinians in Gaza (N=438)
Up to 1 million
19.8
31.7
11.6
10.5
1- 2 million
9.6
15.4
18.2
18.3
2 -3 million
9.6
6.6
19.2
16.0
3 -4 million
10.6
4.9
16.4
22.5
4 million or more
6.8
4.1
18.2
21.7
Don't know
42.8
37.3
-
-
No answer
0.8
-
16.4
11.0
Total
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
*Including East Jerusalem
 

Q. 13 Can you please try and assess how many Palestinian refugees will actually use the right of return if granted to them and leave their present places of residence and move to Israel?
Estimate Number of returning Refugees
Palestinians in Israel (N=500)
Israeli Jews (N=500)
Palestinians in West Bank* (N=762)
Palestinians in Gaza (N=438)
Up to 100.000
4.4
23.0
10.8
6.8
100.000 - 500.000
11.6
14.2
17.6
22.2
500.000 - 1 million
6.8
21.0
**
**
1- 2 million
7.2
-**
23.4
32.0
2 -3 million
11.0
5.5
13.1
18.5
3 - 4 million
-**
1.2
**
**
4 million and up
15.6
4.0
17.3
10.7
Don't know
42.8
31.2
-
-
No answer
0.6
-
17.8
9.8
Total
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
*Including East Jerusalem
** Category  was not included in question.