One: Introduction

This poll took place after the latest visit by American ex-president Jimmy Carter. His visit was marked by his controversial meetings with Hamas leaders in the West Bank and Syria. During his visit, Khaled Mishal, the Head of the Political Bureau of Hamas, expressed the willingness of his party to accept a long-term truce with Israel. Mishal also indicated the acceptance of his group to a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, without an outright recognition of the State of Israel. Egypt continued to make efforts to bring about a truce between Hamas and Israel.

At the same time, negotiations had continued between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, with no results in sight. The government headed by Salam Fayyad continues to pay the salaries of the PA employees and provide funding for emergencies and other vital services. In fact, the Prime Minister has visited a number of regions within the West Bank and inaugurated a number of development projects. News of U.S. President Bush’s upcoming visit to the region, (he is expected to arrive on the 13th of June), is slowly filtering down to the general public.

During this period, the closure of Gaza has continued, where in a number of occasions the fuel supply to the main electricity station was cut. Other basic supplies were also short in Gaza. Finally, the campaign to restore security continued in a number of cities including Nablus, with a renewed focus on the Jenin district.

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