Armed Attacks, Negotiations, Jenin Proposal, Elections, Economic Situation, and the Palestinian-Jordanian Relations

 March 16-18, 1995

 

Armed Attacks, Negotiations, Jenin Proposal, Elections, Economic Situation, and the Palestinian-Jordanian Relations, March 16-18, 1995

This is the sixteenth public opinion poll conducted by the Survey Research Unit (SRU) at the Center for Palestine Research and Studies. The following topics are covered in this poll: elections, the proposal to place Jenin under the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian-Jordanian relations, Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, and armed attacks against Israeli targets.

SRU has been conducting regular public opinion polls 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. Poll results 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, CPRS strives to promote the status of scientific research in Palestine. SRU disseminates the results of the polls through a number of means, including its community outreach program where the results are shared and discussed with a large number of Palestinians. Since previous polls have shown Hebron to be a particularly unique area, this poll focuses on Hebron in order to compare it with other areas with regard to the topics discussed and a larger sample was taken in the Hebron area. This approach also allows CPRS researchers to test the methodology used, by comparing previous smaller samples with the larger one gathered this month. (See Focus on Hebron).

Here are the main findings of this poll:

  • -67% of the Palestinians support continuation of negotiations.
  • -33% support armed attacks against Israeli targets, and 44% oppose them.
  • -65% support two independent states: Palestine and Jordan.
  • -49% are optimistic and 32% are pessimistic.
  • -52% oppose the suggestion to extend the Palestinian Authority to Jenin before the other areas, compared with 33% who support it.
  • -37% evaluate the Palestinian Authority's performance as excellent or good, 30% as fair, 17% as weak or bad.
  • -The unemployment level in the West Bank and Gaza decreased to 38%, and 53% felt that the economic situation had deteriorated.
  • -56.5% support Arafat and 49.4% support Fateh.

Enclosed are the results of the current public opinion poll that has been conducted in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (see Appendix) and a summary of the analysis of the results.....More