Redeployment Agreement, PNA Performance, Prisoners Release, Electoral System, and Other Topics, July 6-9, 1995
Participation in electionsThe results of this poll show that there has been a decline in willingness to participate in elections. In our March poll, 75% of those questioned replied that they would participate where as only 68.4% replied affirmatively in this poll (see Tables 16 and 17).
Table 16
Participation in Elections by Education
Yes% No% Don't Know%
Up to 9-Years 69.1 22.6 08.3
Tawjihi 64.9 24.0 11.1
College 70.2 25.0 04.8
Bachelor 75.2 15.4 09.4
Table 17Participation in Elections by Political Affiliation
Yes% No% Don't Know%
Hamas 65.7 25.9 08.4
PFLP 57.4 27.7 14.9
Fateh 80.9 13.9 05.3
Jihad 41.2 58.8 ---
Is. Ind. 66.7 25.9 07.4
Na. Ind. 75.0 19.2 05.8
Others 70.5 18.2 11.4
No one 44.8 35.5 19.7
President of the PNAThe results of this poll show a drop in the popularity of Yassir Arafat as he received votes from 49.4% of the respondents compared with 55.4% of the vote in May of 1995. Decline in support for Arafat was mainly in the Gaza Strip where he received 52% of the vote compared with 64% in May. In contrast, we note a 5% increase in the percentage of those choosing "others" from May. Also compared to their popularity in May, support for Ahmad Yassin was slightly higher, and there was no appreciable change for Haydar Abdel Shafi or George Habash (see Table 20).
Table 18
Future PNA President by Education
Yassin% Shafi% Arafat% Habash% Others%
Up to 9-Years 12.4 05.2 53.6 03.0 25.9
Tawjihi 15.7 07.4 47.8 03.7 25.3
College 12.3 09.0 46.7 05.7 26.2
Bachelor 13.8 13.8 39.7 06.9 25.9
Table 19Future PNA President by Political Affiliation
Yassin% Shafi% Arafat% Habash% Others%
Hamas 69.0 04.9 13.4 00.7 12.0
PFLP --- 02.2 15.2 76.1 06.5
Fateh 01.9 03.4 85.4 --- 09.3
Jihad 36.4 03.0 21.2 03.0 36.4
Is. Ind. 40.0 04.0 24.0 --- 32.0
Na. Ind. 06.0 38.0 22.0 06.0 28.0
Others 04.5 12.5 22.7 --- 60.2
No one 03.0 10.7 24.9 01.0 60.4
Table 20Comparison of PNA President Election Results
Arafat % Yassin % Abdel Shafi % Habash % Other %
Nov 1994 44.2 19.7 08.9 06.8 20.4
Dec 1994 48.5 18.4 08.6 05.8 18.7
Feb 1995 53.4 14.6 10.0 03.6 18.4
Mar 1995 56.5 13.5 07.6 03.2 19.2
May 1995 55.4 11.9 08.4 04.0 20.2
July 1995 49.3 13.4 07.6 03.9 25.7
Political affiliationThe popularity of Fateh has dropped from 49.2% in May to 43.6% this month. While the popularity of this group has not changed in the West Bank, it has lost 13 points in Gaza, dropping from 56.6% to 43.7%. Support for the opposition groups has not changed although more Palestinians declared disinterest in the political groups listed in the question. Support for Fateh is less than average in the areas of South Gaza, Ramallah, Hebron, Jericho, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem (see Table 21).
Table 21
Political Affiliation by Place of Residence*
Hamas % PFLP % Fateh% Is. Is. Ind. Na. Ind. Other % No one %
Jihad % %. %
Nablus 15.2 02.7 50.9 01.8 03.6 03.6 06.3 13.4
Tulkarm 16.1 03.4 58.6 01.1 00.0 01.1 06.9 11.5
Jenin 15.3 02.4 49.4 01.2 02.4 01.2 03.5 22.4
Jericho 16.0 04.0 40.0 --- 00.0 00.0 12.0 28.0
Ramallah 13.5 04.8 31.7 04.8 00.0 07.7 20.2 17.3
Hebron 16.3 05.7 32.5 04.1 07.3 08.9 02.4 19.5
Bethlehem 09.6 11.0 41.1 02.7 01.4 12.3 01.4 17.8
Jerusalem 08.1 05.4 41.9 04.1 08.1 09.5 04.1 16.2
Gaza North 13.6 10.6 48.5 04.5 00.0 03.0 09.1 10.6
Gaza City 08.1 02.0 48.3 02.7 00.7 04.7 12.8 18.1
Gaza Middle 13.5 01.6 46.8 04.0 02.4 00.8 07.1 21.4
Gaza South 14.9 01.5 28.4 04.5 01.5 01.5 10.4 35.8
*DFLP, Fida, and PPP are not included in this table because of small sample size.
Municipal CouncilsResidents of the cities of Nablus, Hebron, and Gaza, were polled about the performance of their city councils. The residents of Nablus city gave a positive evaluation as 77.3% said that the council's performance was "good". In Gaza city, 29.3% said that the performance of their council was "good". The Hebron city council received the lowest marks as only 12.1% of the residents said that the performance of their council was "good" (see Tables 22 and 23).
Table 22
Evaluation of Municipal Councils by Education
Good% Average% Weak% Don't Know%
Up to 9-Years 41.9 24.8 22.2 11.1
Tawjihi 34.7 30.7 24.8 09.9
College 33.3 24.2 39.4 03.0
Bachelor 41.4 24.1 27.6 06.9
Table 23Evaluation of Municipal Councils by Political Affiliation
Good% Average% Weak% Don't Know
Hamas 31.4 31.4 28.6 08.6
PFLP --- 75.0 25.0 ---
Fateh 53.2 23.0 17.5 06.3
Jihad --- 20.0 60.0 20.0
Is. Ind. 30.0 20.0 50.0 ---
Na. Ind. 31.6 26.3 42.1 ---
Others 40.0 24.0 24.0 12.0
No one 26.0 32.0 28.0 14.0
Total West Bank Gaza
*Unemployment rate 29.0% 27.0% 33.0%
1. Do you support the proposed Palestinian-Israeli agreement which concerning elections, redeployment, and transfer of authority in the West Bank?
a. Yes 55.9% 59.0% 50.3% b. No 29.0% 27.7% 31.3% c. Don't know 15.1% 13.3% 18.4%
2. How do you view the Palestinian Authority's assumption of control in the remaining areas of the West Bank after redeployment of the Israeli forces outside populated areas?
a. Looking Forward 44.1% 45.3% 41.6% b. Neutral 30.7% 29.8% 32.3% c. With Reservations 19.7% 20.0% 19.8% d. Don't Know 05.2% 05.9% 05.4%
3. Do you think the redeployment of Israeli forces in the West Bank (outside populated areas) might mean that the establishment of a Palestinian State is near?
a. Yes 43.5% 42.8% 44.6% b. No 38.9% 38.4% 39.7% c. Don't Know 17.6% 18.8% 15.7%
4. How do you evaluate the Palestinian leadership's management of the current negotiations regarding redeployment, elections, and transfer of authorities?
a. Good 31.2% 30.6% 32.3% b. Fair* 32.0% 29.9% 35.9% c. Weak 25.5% 27.2% 22.3% d. Don't Know 11.3% 12.3% 09.5%
5. How do you evaluate the performance of the Palestinian Authority regarding the issue of the release of Palestinian prisoners?
a. Good 36.2% 38.5% 31.8% b. Fair 19.4% 18.9% 20.3% c. Weak 37.6% 36.2% 40.3% d. Don't Know 06.3% 06.4% 07.6%
6. Do you trust the Israeli intentions towards the peace process with the Palestinians?
a. Yes 06.9% 06.1% 08.2% b. No 81.1% 83.4% 76.9% c. Don't Know 12.0% 10.5% 14.9%
7. Do you think the appointments in PNA institutions are based mostly on:
a. Qualifications 19.7% 23.9% 11.8% b. Wasta (family/factional connections) 64.4% 59.1% 74.5% c. Others 15.9% 17.0% 13.7%
8. The electoral system that should be adopted in the upcoming elections of the Palestinian Authority Council is:
a. A Majority system 31.5% 35.3% 24.4% b. A Proportional representation system 50.9% 50.3% 51.9% c. Don't Know 17.6% 14.4% 23.7%
9. Will you participate in general political elections to select members of the Palestinian Authority Council?
a. Yes 68.4% 70.8% 64.1% b. No 22.7% 21.2% 25.4% c. Don't Know 08.9% 08.0% 10.5%
10. If a separate election for the head of the National Authority takes place, and the following nominate themselves, I will choose:
a. Hayder Abdel Shafi 07.6% 09.1% 04.9% b. George Habash 03.9% 04.3% 03.1% c. Yassir Arafat 49.3% 47.9% 52.1% d. Ahmed Yassin 13.4% 14.3% 11.8% e. Other (Specify) 25.7% 24.4% 28.1%
11. If elections were held today, and you decided to participate, you would vote for candidates affiliated with:
a. PPP 01.0% 00.7% 01.6% b. Hamas 13.1% 13.8% 11.9% c. Fateh 43.6% 43.6% 43.7% d. Islamic Jihad 02.8% 03.6% 03.1% e. DFLP 00.1% --- 00.3% f. PFLP 04.3% 04.8% 03.4% g. Feda 00.8% 01.3% --- h. Islamic independents 02.5% 03.1% 01.3% i. Nationalist independents 04.8% 05.8% 02.8% j. Other (specify) 08.1% 07.2% 09.6% k. None of the above 18.6% 16.9% 21.8%
12. How do you evaluate the performance of the elected city council in your city one year after it has been formed? [asked only in Nablus city, Hebron city, and Gaza city]
Nablus Hebron Gaza
a. Good 77.3% 12.1% 29.3% b. Fair 13.3% 27.6% 33.3% c. Weak 04.0% 56.9% 24.0% d. Don't know 05.4% 03.4% 13.4%
[ PSR Home ] [ Index of Polls ] [ This Poll's Previous Section ] [ This Poll's Next Section ]