Background

When the exchange of verbal accusations prevailed and when the two major Palestinian factions started to resort to arms pushing the conflict to the verge of internal fighting accompanied by a state of paralysis in the public sector due to the strike, Palestinians finally found no way out of the political and financial impasse other than a unity government that would include all parliamentary factions in addition to some independent figures. President Abbas and Prime Minister Hanyia promised Palestinians to form a unity government before the end of November, and the media point out that a national unity government has become very imminent, especially that rumors leaked out by some officials that an agreement on the general framework of the government has already been accomplished.

On the other side of the scene, the Israeli army committed another massacre in Beit Hanon in the Strip that resulted in the massive killing of more than 20 civilians. The political outcome of the massacre was a veto by the US in the Security Council that aborted the Arab countries' attempt to pass a resolution that condemns Israel.

On the Palestinian side public schools teachers suspended their strike after an agreement was concluded with the Minister of Education and Higher Education on a specific procedure to pay their salaries. As a result of this agreement students went back to their schools.

The Results

Following are the results of the 24th Palestinian Public Opinion Poll conducted by the Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah National University during the period from November 16 to 18, 2006. The University sponsors all polls conducted by its Center.

This poll undertakes Palestinian public opinions as relate to the new political realities, particularly the unity government, the priorities of Palestinian people, the expectations of Palestinian people from the new government, Palestinian opinions in forms of resistance, in addition to an assessment of the performance of Palestinian institutions.

The sample included 1360 persons whose age group is 18 and above and who have the right to vote. The enclosed questionnaire was distributed on 860 persons from the West Bank and 500 persons from the Gaza Strip. The sample was drawn randomly and the margin of error is about ±3%; still 3.8% of the members of the sample refused to answer the questionnaire.

The General Results:

• 41.8% of respondents were pessimistic towards the general Palestinian conditions at this stage.
• 86.8% of respondents did not feel safe neither for themselves nor for their families and properties under the present circumstances.
• 69.5% of respondents said that their economic situation under the current circumstances is deteriorating.
• 74.8% of respondents said that the local security conditions deteriorated.
• 42.8% of respondents said that their priority at the present stage is putting an end to the security mayhem.
• 54.3% of respondents said that a unity government is the most ideal form of government for running the country's affairs.
• 65.5% of respondents said that the agreement reached on a unity government will free Palestinian people from the political and financial sanctions; 23.5%said the opposite.
• 56.2% of respondents said that Hamas movement is really in favor with a successful unity government: 33.4% said the opposite.
• 59.3% of respondents said that Fateh movement is really in favor of a successful unity government: 30.5% said the opposite.
• 30.7% of respondents said that the major reason behind the delay in forming a unity government was outside interference and 22.9% said that it was disagreement over the political program of the government.
• 29.6% of respondents support the idea that the future unity government should only be a services government.
• 48.8% of respondents supported the idea that negotiation should only be the responsibility of the PLO.
• 82.9% of respondents supported the reformation of the PLO so that it would include all Palestinian factions, including those which are not part of it.
• As for the priorities of the future Palestinian government respondents saw the following:
  • 84.4% were in favor of imposing order on the local security conditions
  • 83.5% were in favor of creating job opportunities.
  • 82.8% were in favor of improving the economic conditions and encouraging investments.
  • 82.7% were in favor of improving public health services.
  • 82.6% were in favor of improving public education.
  • 78.7% were in favor of carrying out court verdicts.
  • 77.6% were in favor of improving the work of local councils.
  • 80.1% were in favor of reforming the security apparatuses.
• 59.9% of respondents supported armed operations inside Israel; 34.9% rejected them.
• 65.7% of respondents supported concentrating armed operations within the borders of the 1967 occupied territories
• 42.4% of respondents rejected firing rockets at Israeli targets from the Gaza Strip.
• 43.2% of respondents said that firing rockets against Israeli targets from the Gaza Strip hurts the Palestinian cause; 34.7% said it serves the Palestinian cause positively.
• 34.9% of respondents said the form of struggle that best serves the Palestinian cause is the armed struggle.
• 69.6% of respondents said that kidnapping foreign journalists and sympathizers with Palestinians hurts the Palestinian cause.
• 85.4% of respondents said that there is some outside intervention in the Palestinian decision; 8.7% said that it is an Arab intervention, 18.4% said that it is a foreign one, 72.5% said that it is both foreign and Arab, and 75% said that this intervention is a negative one.
• Within the present circumstances 31.4% of respondents said that they think of emigrating.
• 31.2% of respondents said that that they may emigrate if proper living conditions become available to them abroad.
• 43.7% of respondents said that the main cause that compels them to think of emigrating is lack of security; 23.8% said that it is the poor economic situation.
• 66.9% of respondents supported completing local councils elections in the areas where they were not conducted yet.
• 45.5% of respondents supported the coming of Bader forces from Jordan to the Palestinian territories; 31.7% of respondents said that Bader forces are capable of imposing order in the Palestinian territories
• Respondents assessed the performance of the following institutions as "good" with the following percentages:
  • 53.2% Palestinian Presidency
  • 43.5% Palestinian Government
  • 40.4% Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC)
  • 34.3% judicial system
  • 31.8% security apparatuses
  • 70.4% Palestinian universities

• As for political affiliation respondents gave the following results:

  People’s Party	1.3%
  Democratic Front	1.2%
  Islamic Jihad	3.9%
  Fateh	34.9%
  Hamas	18.4%
  Fida	0.8%
  Popular Front	4.9%
  Palestinian National Initiative	0.8%
  I am an independent nationalist	7.2%
  I am an independent Islamist	4.2%
  None of the above	20.8%
  Others	1.6%

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