Background

The Mecca Accord which was signed between Fateh and Hamas led to some agreements. The most important is the agreement on the formation of a unity government that would lead to a relief from the crisis that Palestinians have been going through for more than one year.

The formation of a unity government was declared and it was welcomed on the local and Arab level; the USA did not give a clear position towards the newly formed unity government saying that it may deal with the none-Hamas members. Israel said that it will boycott it and the EU has the tendency to deal with it.

On the ground the chaotic security situation is still dominating the scene and acts of kidnapping and belligerence against people and properties especially in Gaza continue.

Israel continues in its policy to eliminate the Palestinian existence especially in Jerusalem; Israeli bulldozers demolished part of the Western wall of the city and began excavations that, according to specialists, will not only affect the bases of Al Aqsa Mosq but also the general Islamic identity of the whole area of the holy sites.

The Results

Following are the results of the 26th Palestinian Public Opinion Poll conducted by the Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah National University during the period from March 21-23, 2007. The University sponsors all polls conducted by its Center.

Palestinian public opinion poll no. 26 undertakes the current political realities especially the Mecca Accord, the formation of the new Palestinian unity government, the priorities of Palestinian citizens and anticipated results from the newly formed government, in addition to the performance of some Palestinian institutions and other issues.

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 861 persons from the West Bank and 499 persons from the Gaza Strip. The sample was drawn randomly and the margin of error is about ±3%; still 2.7% of the members of the sample refused to answer the questionnaire.

The opinions represented in the results reflect those of the study; they do not represent by any means the opinion of An-Najah National University.

The General Results:

• 42.6% of respondents are pessimistic towards the general Palestinian conditions at this stage.
• 86.1% of respondents do not feel safe neither for themselves nor for their families and properties under the present circumstances.
• 62.2% of respondents said that their economic situation under the current circumstances is deteriorating.
• 62.8% of respondents said that the local security conditions deteriorated.
• As for the priorities of the future Palestinian government respondents saw the following:
  • 49.4% were in favor of imposing order on the local security conditions
  • 18.5% were in favor of creating job opportunities.
  • 17.5% were in favor of improving the economic conditions and encouraging investments.
• 16.8% of respondents believed that the Mecca Accord ended all differences between Fateh and Hamas.
• 45.5% of respondents believed that the Mecca Accord established a real political partnership among all Palestinian political parties.
• 61.2% of respondents believed that Hamas is really concerned with the success of the Palestinian unity government.
• 55.5% of respondents believed that Fateh is really concerned with the success of the Palestinian unity government.
• 28.3% of respondents believed that Hamas introduced reforms inside Palestinian ministries as it promised.
• 36.2% of respondents believed that during one year of its stay in power the performance of the government that Hamas formed was good; 55.0% believed it was bad.
• 47.1% of respondents believed that during its stay in the government, Hamas practiced employment on the basis of political affiliation.
• 25.1% of respondents believed that during the year in which Hamas was in the government, it succeeded in managing Palestinian affairs; 68.1% believed it failed.
• 48.9% of respondents believed that Hamas' agreement to enter in a government which contains ministers who were accused of corruption forms a retreat from its elections program which raised the slogan of "change and reform"
• 51.9% of respondents believed that Hamas' agreement to enter a national unity government forms a withdrawal from the slogans that it raised during the elections campaign.
• 53.8% of respondents believed that Hamas preferred entering the political negotiations process at the expense of resistance.
• 41.6% of respondents considered Hamas' recognition of international resolutions and treaties that were signed with Israel, a recognition of Israel.
• 48.4% of respondents considered Khalid Mishal's declaration that Israel is a reality, as a recognition of Israel.
• 45.8% of respondents considered Ismael Haniya's declaration in which he accepted the creation of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 occupied territories as a recognition of Israel.
• 22.1% of respondents thought that the recent declarations of Al-Thawaheri will influence the popularity of Hamas among Palestinians positively; 55.0% considered that they will have a negative influence.
• 22.6% of respondents thought that the recent declarations of Al-Thawaheri will influence the popularity of Hamas among Arabs and Muslims positively; 54.1% considered that they will have a negative influence.
• 26.9% of respondents considered the Arab peace initiative which was launched in the 2002 Beirut Conference a proper solution for the Arab-Israeli conflict.
• 40.7% of respondents believed that the Israeli incursions, checkpoints and closures will increase after the formation of the Palestinian unity government; 17.0% believed they will decrease.
• 79.9% of respondents are content with the formation of the unity government.
• 39.4% of respondents saw that the unity government should recognize the conditions of the Quartet among which is the recognition of Israel; 52.1% saw the opposite.
• 53.8% of respondents believed that the unity government will be able to stand before the international conditions.
• 27.1% of respondents supported the idea that the current unity government should be a services government; 66.3% opposed that.
• 69.6% of respondents believed that the unity government will be able to solve the problems of employees' salaries.
• 80.2% of respondents believed that employees should give the chance for the unity government to secure their salaries.
• 26.5% of respondents believed that corruption in the Palestinian Authority's institutions will increase through time; 38.1% believed it will decrease.
• 32.4% of respondents assessed the performance of the Executive Force as good; 53.7% assessed it as bad.
• 61.9% of respondents saw that the new government should integrate the Executive Force within the other security apparatuses; 30.4% saw that it should dissolve it.
• 51.5% of respondents supported the idea that negotiation should only be the responsibility of the PLO; 42.4% opposed that
• 80.1% of respondents supported the reformation of the PLO so that it would include all Palestinian factions, including those which are not part of it; 14.0% opposed that.
• 35.8% of respondents will vote for a Fateh candidate if a new Presidential elections are conducted; 20.4% will vote for a Hamas candidate.
• 35.4% of respondents will vote for a Fateh bloc if a new PLC elections are conducted 23.2% will vote for a Hamas bloc.
• 68.2% of respondents supported concentrating resistance within the 1967 occupied territories.
• 46.5% of respondents rejected launching rockets from the Gaza Strip against Israel.
• 40.4% of respondents said that launching rockets from the Gaza Strip against Israel hurts the Palestinian cause; 32.9% said it serves it.
• As for the priorities of the future Palestinian government respondents saw the following:
  • 88.74% were in favor of imposing order on the local security conditions
  • 87.40% were in favor of creating job opportunities.
  • 85.12% were in favor of improving the economic conditions and encouraging investments.
  • 84.93% were in favor of improving public health services.
  • 85.02% were in favor of improving public education.
  • 82.39% were in favor of carrying out court verdicts.
  • 80.32% were in favor of improving the work of local councils.
  • 82.83% were in favor of reforming the security apparatuses.
• Respondents assessed the performance of the following institutions as "good" and more than good with the following percentages:

  Palestinian Presidency	60.4%
  Palestinian Government	49.9%
  Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC)	45.1%
  Judicial system	38.4%
  Security apparatuses	40.0%
  Palestinian universities	70.2%

• Within the present circumstances 29.4% of respondents said that they think of emigrating.
• 33.1% of respondents said that that they may emigrate if proper living conditions become available to them abroad.
• 28.7% of respondents said that the main cause that compels them to think of emigrating is lack of security; 45.9% said that it is the poor economic situation.
• 58.6% were in favor of approving a five-day work per week resolution in public institutions; 35.2% rejected that.
• 54.3% of respondents preferred Thursday to be the additional day off; 15.7% preferred Saturday.
• As for political affiliation respondents gave the following results:

  People’s Party	0.9%
  Democratic Front	1.1%
  Islamic Jihad	3.3%
  Fateh	35.3%
  Hamas	21.0%
  Fida	0.3%
  Popular Front	3.0%
  Palestinian National Initiative	0.7%
  I am an independent nationalist	7.2%
  I am an independent Islamist	3.8%
  None of the above	22.1%
  Others	1.3%

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