Elections, Economic Conditions, Palestinian Prisoners, Palestinian Police
and Jerusalem June 30, 1994
This is the tenth public opinion poll conducted by the Survey Research Unit (SRU) at the Center for Palestine Research and Studies. This poll focuses on elections; Palestinian perceptions of Israeli commitments to the agreements, performance of Palestinian police and PLO negotiators; and expectations regarding economic conditions in the future and the final status of Jerusalem. SRU conducts a monthly public opinion poll to document an important phase in the history of the Palestinian people and to record the reactions of the Palestinian community with regard to current political events. CPRS does not adopt political positions and does not tolerate attempts to influence the conclusions reached or published for political motives. CPRS is committed to providing a scholarly contribution to analysis and objective study and to publishing the results of all our studies and research. The poll results are published independently and with unit analysis in both Arabic and English. They provide a vital resource for the community and for researchers needing statistical information and analysis. The polls give members of the community opportunity to voice their opinion and to seek to influence decision makers on issues of concern to them. In a broader sense, SRU strives to promote the status of scientific research in Palestine.
Enclosed are the results of the most recent public opinion poll that has been conducted in the West Bank (including Arab Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip (see Appendix A).
General Background
This poll was conducted on Thursday, June 30, 1994. June was the second month in the implementation of the Israeli-Palestinian agreement signed in Cairo on May 4, 1994. Palestinians got an opportunity during this month to get an initial glimpse of autonomy in action, the most visible institution of which until this point has been the police force. The issue of Palestinians still incarcerated in Israeli prisons was at the forefront of Palestinian concerns this month, and was the subject of many demonstrations and strikes. Rumors of Yassir Arafat's visit to the area throughout the month culminated in an announcement on the day of the poll of his imminent arrival. Another issue during this period was the delay in disbursing promised funds to the Palestinian authority on the part of the donor countries.
Methodology
The questionnaire was designed through consultations with local and international experts. The format was changed during this poll in order to expedite the coding and data entry process. Researchers were asked to mark respondents' answers in boxes next to the questions, making it possible to enter the coded data directly from the questionnaire and eliminating the need for code sheets. Besides saving time, this process increased accuracy since it eliminated a step with potential for clerical error. While a separate coding step was no longer necessary, coders did check each questionnaire to ensure that they were completed properly prior to the data entry...... More