Published today (updated) 06/11/2014 20:47
A Palestinian protester holds his national flag during a demonstration
in solidarity with prisoners held in Israeli jails, near the Nahal Oz border
crossing with Israel, east of Gaza City, on April 18, 2014
(AFP/Mahmud Hams)
in solidarity with prisoners held in Israeli jails, near the Nahal Oz border
crossing with Israel, east of Gaza City, on April 18, 2014
(AFP/Mahmud Hams)
BETHLEHEM
(Ma'an) -- A new poll released on Thursday shows strong support among
the Palestinian public for the two-state solution amid fears that
tensions in Jerusalem could lead to a violent confrontation with Israel.
The poll, which was conducted by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion in the second half of October among 1,000 adults living in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, also revealed broad hopes for the possibility of peace in the coming decades, despite pessimism over the short term future.
In a series of face-to-face interviews, respondents were asked a number of questions relating to the political situation, Palestinian political parties, and the chances of peace with Israel.
54 percent of Palestinians polled voiced support for the two-state solution "in principle," while only 31 percent opposed it. Although no option was given, respondents who opposed ostensibly supported a one-state solution for both Israelis and Palestinians to live side-by-side or else a single state for Palestinians only.
Support for a two-state solution has stayed relatively consistent, and a Nov. 2013 An-Najah University poll showed nearly equal support among respondents.
A majority of Palestinians also expressed optimism over the possibility of peace with Israelis in the future, with 43 percent saying it was "certain" or "likely," while 26 percent said it was "possible" that there would peace when the respondents' children had reached adulthood.
Only 28 percent said it was "unlikely" or would never happen.
The poll also revealed that if elections for president were held today, 36 percent of those surveyed would vote for Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas against 28 percent of Hamas' Ismail Haniyeh.
The election questions reflected wider satisfaction with Abbas leadership while discontent with Hamas was growing in the wake of a massive Israeli assault that left nearly 2,200 dead in the Gaza Strip and nearly 110,000 homeless.
28 percent of respondents, however, said they would not vote if elections were held, suggesting wider dissatisfaction with both Fatah and Hamas leadership.
While 49 percent of respondents said they were content with Abbas' administration, only 38 percent said the same about Hamas.
Despite the pessimism, however, 49 percent said they believed Hamas was serious about cooperating with the government of national consensus, while only 30 percent said no.
Respondents were divided on the issue of the arms of the Palestinian militant resistance, with 43 percent saying that decisions for war and peace had to be made together while 50 percent opposed any compromise on the maintenance of arms in the hands of militant groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
50 percent predicted a violent confrontation with Israel in the near future as a result of the situation in Jerusalem, which has witnessed daily clashes in recent weeks.
The poll only took into account those Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem, and does not include the opinions of the 1.2 million Palestinians living inside Israel nor the approximately 5.5 million Palestinian refugees worldwide.
The poll, which was conducted by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion in the second half of October among 1,000 adults living in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, also revealed broad hopes for the possibility of peace in the coming decades, despite pessimism over the short term future.
In a series of face-to-face interviews, respondents were asked a number of questions relating to the political situation, Palestinian political parties, and the chances of peace with Israel.
54 percent of Palestinians polled voiced support for the two-state solution "in principle," while only 31 percent opposed it. Although no option was given, respondents who opposed ostensibly supported a one-state solution for both Israelis and Palestinians to live side-by-side or else a single state for Palestinians only.
Support for a two-state solution has stayed relatively consistent, and a Nov. 2013 An-Najah University poll showed nearly equal support among respondents.
A majority of Palestinians also expressed optimism over the possibility of peace with Israelis in the future, with 43 percent saying it was "certain" or "likely," while 26 percent said it was "possible" that there would peace when the respondents' children had reached adulthood.
Only 28 percent said it was "unlikely" or would never happen.
The poll also revealed that if elections for president were held today, 36 percent of those surveyed would vote for Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas against 28 percent of Hamas' Ismail Haniyeh.
The election questions reflected wider satisfaction with Abbas leadership while discontent with Hamas was growing in the wake of a massive Israeli assault that left nearly 2,200 dead in the Gaza Strip and nearly 110,000 homeless.
28 percent of respondents, however, said they would not vote if elections were held, suggesting wider dissatisfaction with both Fatah and Hamas leadership.
While 49 percent of respondents said they were content with Abbas' administration, only 38 percent said the same about Hamas.
Despite the pessimism, however, 49 percent said they believed Hamas was serious about cooperating with the government of national consensus, while only 30 percent said no.
Respondents were divided on the issue of the arms of the Palestinian militant resistance, with 43 percent saying that decisions for war and peace had to be made together while 50 percent opposed any compromise on the maintenance of arms in the hands of militant groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
50 percent predicted a violent confrontation with Israel in the near future as a result of the situation in Jerusalem, which has witnessed daily clashes in recent weeks.
The poll only took into account those Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem, and does not include the opinions of the 1.2 million Palestinians living inside Israel nor the approximately 5.5 million Palestinian refugees worldwide.
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