Part (1)

Questions in  part (1) have been asked to all Palestinian refugees and non refugees in the sample

Total %

Refugees in Camps

Refugees in Cities & villages

1) There are many proposed solutions to the Palestinian question. One of  the solutions proposes the creation of a Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital, the withdrawal of Israel to the 1967 borders and the evacuation of settlements, but negotiations over the issue of the Palestinian  refugees’ right of return would be postponed for several years. Would you support or oppose this solution?

1) Support

52.7

51.9

53.2

2) Oppose

45.8

46.3

45.5

3) No opinion/Do not know

1.5

1.8

1.3

2) After the creation of the Palestinian state, the withdrawal of Israel and the evacuation of settlements, what do you think the Palestinian state should do with the already-built houses inside the settlements?

1) Destroy them

18.4

21.2

16.5

2) Sell them to the Palestinians who can afford to buy them

0.8

1.4

0.4

3) Give them to the refugees for free

25.4

26.6

24.7

4) Give them to the poor for free whether they are refugees or not

51.3

46.8

54.3

5) Give them only to the poor who are not refugees

1.7

1.7

1.6

6) No opinion/Do not know

2.4

2.3

2.6

3)  There is a second proposed solution to the Palestinian question, which is similar to the above solution, i.e. the creation of a Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital, the withdrawal of Israel to the 1967 borders and the evacuation of settlements, but negotiations over the issue of the Palestinian  refugees’ right of return would be postponed for several years.  However, it proposes the moving of the population of the refugee camps to new housing developments without waiving their right of return. Do you Support or oppose this proposal?

1) I Support

56.9

48.5

62.5

2) I oppose     

40.5

50.0

34.2

3) No opinion/Do not know

2.5

1.5

3.2

4) Suppose these housing projects and developments will be located in the evacuated settlements. Do you support or oppose this solution?

1) I Support

68.5

66.3

69.6

2) I oppose

28.1

30.8

26.8

3) No opinion/Do not know

3.5

2.9

3.8

5)  There is a third proposed solution to the Palestinian question, which is similar to the second one outlined on question # 3 above. But instead of moving the population of the refugee camps to new housing developments, the solution proposes the improvement and restoration of houses and facilities inside the camps. Would you Support or oppose this solution?

1) I Support

68.5

70.8

67.0

2) I oppose

29.8

28.3

30.8

3) No opinion/Do not know

1.7

0.9

2.2

6) There is talk about municipal council and local elections this year, do you Support or oppose the participation of refugee camps located inside Palestinian cities and towns  in the municipal elections of these cities and towns?

1) I Support

88.3

86.1

89.7

2) I oppose     

9.7

12.1

8.1

3) No opinion/Do not know

2.0

1.8

2.2

7) What about municipal council and local elections inside the camps that are not located inside Palestinian cities and towns? Do you Support or oppose local elections inside these camps?

1) I Support

75.5

75.4

75.5

2) I oppose

20.5

21.2

20.0

3) No opinion/Do not know

4.0

3.4

4.5

8) What about camps in the vicinity of cities and towns?

1) I support the expansion of municipal borders of cities and towns to include the neighbouring camps for the purpose of municipal elections.

55.0

48.9

59.1

2) I Support independent municipal elections for camps

33.6

38.5

30.3

3) I oppose the participation of camps in municipal elections

6.5

8.9

5.0

4) No opinion/Do not know

4.9

3.7

5.7

9) Are there any circumstances under which you may accept to live in peace, security and reconciliation with Israeli Jews?

1) Yes

20.3

19.7

20.6

2) No

79.1

79.3

79.0

3) No opinion/Do not know

0.7

1.0

0.4

10) After the settlement of the Palestinian question and the refugee problem, some people propose the immediate and simultaneous return of hundreds of thousands of refugees, even a million, from the Diaspora/outside the Palestinian state; whereas some believe that the absorption process should be gradual, and only tens of thousands of refugees should return to the Palestinian state gradually. What’s your opinion?

1) I prefer the simultaneous return of hundreds of thousands [of refugees]

35.3

36.0

34.9

2) I prefer the gradual return of tens of thousands [of refugees]

60.2

59.2

60.8

3) Other (specify __________)

3.2

3.4

3.1

4) No opinion/Do not know

1.3

1.4

1.1

11) After the creation of a Palestinian state and the settlement of the refugee problem, do you think that the West Bank and Gaza Strip can absorb the return of hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of refugees from the Diaspora/outside, in addition to the refugee population they have now?

1) They can absorb the refugee population they have now in addition to a half million refugees from the Diaspora/outside.

18.6

16.5

20.0

2) They can absorb the refugee population they have now in addition to one million refugees from the Diaspora/outside.

15.5

14.3

16.3

3) They can absorb the refugee population they have now in addition to several millions of refugees from the Diaspora.

30.3

31.3

29.6

4) The West Bank and Gaza Strip cannot absorb any refugee from the Diaspora.

26.6

32.1

22.9

5) No opinion/Do not know

8.9

5.7

11.1

12) If a Palestinian state is created, do you expect that the socio-economic conditions will allow the absorption of these large numbers of refugees?

1) Yes 

42.0

44.3

40.6

2) No

51.0

49.3

52.1

3) No opinion/Do not know

6.9

6.4

7.3

13) After the creation of a Palestinian state and the settlement of the refugee problem, do you see any need for the continuation of the work done by UNRWA?    

1) Yes 

58.0

60.7

56.2

2) No

38.8

36.7

40.2

3) No opinion/Do not know

3.2

2.6

3.6

14) After the creation of a Palestinian state and the settlement of the refugee problem, some people propose the dismantlement of camps, others think that they should remain as they area now while others propose the expansion and improvement of camps so that they can accommodate the refugees who wish to stay in the Palestinian state.  What’s your opinion?

1) Dismantlement

11.6

10.1

12.5

2) Keep them as they are now 

7.2

9.3

5.8

3) Expanding and improving them

80.3

79.5

80.9

4) No opinion/Do not know

0.9

1.1

0.8

15) After the creation of a Palestinian state and the settlement of the refugee problem, some propose the building of new cities in the West Bank and Gaza to accommodate the refugees who wish to stay in the Palestinian state and the refugees returning from the Diaspora, while others propose the expansion of the existing cities to absorb the refugees. What’s your opinion?

1) I Support the building of new cities

25.3

26.6

24.4

2) I Support the expansion of existing cities

16.0

15.3

16.5

3) I Support both solutions

56.8

56.0

57.3

4) No opinion/Do not know

1.9

2.1

1.8

16) The text of the Road Map plan, presented to the Palestinians and the Israelis by the Quartet, provides that a permanent solution to the refugee problem in the final talks should be “realistic and just and agreed upon by both the Palestinians and the Israelis”. Do you support or oppose this as a basis for solving the refugee problem?

1) I support

68.2

66.8

69.2

2) I oppose

26.3

29.0

24.6

3) No opinion/Do not know

5.4

4.3

6.2

17) After the creation of a Palestinian state and the settlement of the refugee problem, do you want to play a role in building this state and shaping its political and socio-economic future?

1) Yes

84.0

87.2

81.9

2) No           

13.6

11.5

15.1

3) No opinion/Do not know

2.3

1.3

3.0

18) Who do you want to represent you and your interests in the negotiations on refugees?

1) Palestine Liberation Organization     

72.7

74.9

71.3

2) United Nations

8.7

7.2

9.7

3) Other (specify ______)

13.9

14.0

13.8

4) No opinion/ Do not know

4.7

3.9

5.2

19) If you have to choose between the following options?

1) I am a Palestinian

32.8

30.1

34.7

2) I am a refugee

4.5

4.5

4.6

3) I am an Arab

2.7

1.7

3.4

3) I am a Muslim/ Christian

59.9

63.8

57.3

20) If you have to choose only between the following descriptions, which one would you choose?

1) I am a Palestinian

71.0

73.7

69.0

2) I am a refugee

10.3

7.9

12.0

3) I am an Arab

18.2

18.4

18.1

4) No opinion/ Don’t know

0.5

0.0

0.9

21) And what if the choice is between the following descriptions only, which one would you choose?

1) I am a Palestinian

80.8

81.8

80.2

2) I am a refugee

18.1

17.2

18.6

3) No opinion/ Don’t know

1.1

1.0

1.1

Now we will read to you a proposed solution to the refugee problem published in some Palestinian newspapers in the light of the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations in Taba in early 2001. Then we will ask you some questions about the proposed solution.

The creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and Israel’s recognition of U.N. Resolution 194 or the right of return; however, the Palestinian and Israeli parties would agree to the limited return of a small number of refugees to Israel according to a timetable that extends for several years. Each refugee family may choose one option that it sees fit among the following four options:

a. Returning to Israel (areas of 1948) in accordance with an annual quota and obtaining the Israeli citizenship

b. Remaining in the Palestinian state created in the West Bank and Gaza and receiving equitable compensation for the property seized by Israel and for the losses and suffering

c. receiving equitable compensation for the property, losses and suffering and staying in the current host country and obtaining citizenship of that country or Palestinian citizenship (for refugees living in Lebanon and Jordan only).

d. Obtaining the Palestinian citizenship and returning to specific areas in Israel (areas of 1948), which will later on be annexed to the Palestinian state in the context of the exchange of territories with Israel while receiving any due compensation.

e. Receiving equitable compensation for the property, losses and suffering and immigrating to one of the European and American countries or Australia or Canada, and obtaining the citizenship of that country or the Palestinian citizenship.

22) Do you think that Israel would accept or reject such a solution?

1) Would accept

11.6

12.8

10.8

2) Would reject

83.5

84.2

83.1

3) No opinion/Do not know

4.9

3.0

6.1

23) Do you think that the leadership of the PLO would accept or reject such a solution?

1) Would accept

62.5

63.6

61.9

2) Would reject

29.4

30.4

28.7

3) No opinion/Do not know

8.1

6.0

9.4

24) Do you think that most refugees would accept or reject such a solution?

1) Would accept

46.4

46.6

46.3

2) Would reject           

46.4

47.1

45.9

3) No opinion/ Do not know

7.2

6.4

7.8

25) What about you? Would you accept or reject this solution

1) Accept

49.7

48.0

50.9

2) Reject

49.0

51.0

47.7

3) No opinion/ Do not know

1.2

1.0

1.3

26) In the event the Palestinians and the Israelis both agreed on that solution, what would be your reaction?

1) I will accept the agreement   

25.0

26.3

24.1

2) I will be obliged to accept it due to lack of better alternatives

45.8

44.0

47.0

3) I will reject it

11.6

11.9

11.4

4) I will reject it and resist it

15.3

16.2

14.6

5) No opinion/ Do not know

2.3

1.6

2.8

27) In the event the above solution is agreed upon and you have the opportunity to chose from among these options, which one would be your first choice, and which one would be your second choice, third choice, fourth, and fifth choice? [Interviewer: read all the options to the respondent and assign each option a number in the appropriate box according to the respondent’s order of preference. If there is an option that the respondent never accepts, leave the box blank. If more than one option has the same order of preference, write the same number for the different options].

Refugees first Choice:

1) Refuse all political solutions

8.7

10.6

7.4

2) Returning to Israel (areas of 1948) and obtaining the Israeli citizenship.      

12.6

10.6

14.0

2) Remaining in the Palestinian state and accepting equitable compensation for the property, losses and suffering.

37.9

33.7

40.7

3) Obtaining Palestinian citizenship and returning to specific areas in Israel (areas of 1948), which will later on be annexed to the Palestinian state in the context of the exchange of territories while receiving any due compensation.

36.5

40.3

34.0

5) Immigrating to a European or American county or another country and accepting equitable compensation for the property, losses and suffering.

1.0

1.5

0.6

6) No Opinion /Don’t know

3.3

3.3

3.3

Part (2)

Questions in  part (2) have been asked to all refugees who have included the option of return to Israel among their preferred choices

1) If you decide to return to Israel (areas of 1948) and obtain [interviewer: or not obtain] the Israeli citizenship, do you accept to live in peace in the Jewish state and respect the applicable Israeli laws?

1) Yes

45.5

37.5

49.5

2) No

37.5

43.8

34.4

3) No opinion/Do not know

0.7

2.1

0.0

4) Not stated

16.3

16.7

16.1

2) If you decide to return to Israel (areas of 1948) and you are allowed to choose the citizenship you want to have, which citizenship would you prefer after your return?

1) Palestinian citizenship from the Palestinian state

58.9

63.2

56.8

2) Israeli citizenship

2.1

1.1

2.6

3) Palestinian and Israeli citizenships

22.6

18.9

24.5

5) Not Stated

16.4

16.8

16.1

3) What if the agreement stipulates that the refugees returning to Israel should only have the Israeli citizenship?

1) I accept the Israeli citizenship only

21.4

23.8

20.2

2) I refuse to return to Israel; I stay where I am now as a refugee

38.5

40.5

37.5

3) I refuse to return to Israel and I accept equitable compensation while considering other options

9.1

8.3

9.5

4) No opinion/Do not know

13.1

9.5

14.9

5) Not stated

17.9

17.9

17.9

4) When a permanent peace settlement is reached between Israel and the Arabs, a form of national service may be imposed on the Arabs, including those who will return. What would you do in this case?

1) I accept national service in the case of a permanent peace settlement between Israel and the Arabs

14.3

15.4

13.7

2) I refuse to return to Israel; I stay where I am now as a refugee

50.2

50.5

50.0

3) I refuse national service and I refuse to return to Israel and I accept equitable compensation while considering other options

14.3

14.3

14.3

4) Not stated

21.2

19.8

22.0

5) What if you realize that the area of your original place of residence and your home were destroyed and your land was confiscated and Jewish homes were built on it?

1) I accept to live wherever Israel wants me to inside Israel (areas of 1948)

23.7

24.1

23.5

2) I refuse to return; I stay where I am now as a refugee

43.8

42.2

44.6

3) I refuse to return and I accept compensation while considering other options

4.0

4.8

3.6

4) Not stated

28.5

28.9

28.3

6) What if, for any reason, you cannot return to the area of your original residence and you are offered compensation for the loss of your home and property and you are allowed to live elsewhere in Israel (areas of 1948)?

1) I accept the offer

24.5

22.2

25.6

2) I refuse to return; I remain a refugee

42.3

40.7

43.1

3) I refuse to return and I accept compensation while considering other options

1.7

3.7

0.6

4) Not stated

31.5

33.3

30.6

7) What if this other place is located in the area to be annexed to the Palestinian state in the context of the exchange of territories between the two parties?

1) I accept the offer

37.4

35.4

38.5

2) I refuse to return; I remain a refugee

29.4

27.8

30.1

3) I refuse to return and I accept compensation while considering other options

0.4

1.3

0.0

4) Not stated

32.8

35.4

31.4

8) If you decide to return to Israel (areas of 1948) and if your return is determined according to a quota that extends for ten years, when do you wish to return?

1) Immediately

48.3

50.0

47.4

2) At a later point

17.1

9.0

21.2

3) No opinion/Do not know

0.9

2.6

0.0

4) Not Stated

33.8

38.5

31.4

9) If you decide to return to Israel (areas of 1948) but cannot because your return will exceed the quota; however, you will be allowed to recover your property in Israel and visit Israel any time you wish provided that you accept to live outside Israel, would you accept that?

1) Yes

27.1

25.3

28.0

2) No

37.7

35.4

38.9

3) No Opinion/ Do not know

1.3

1.3

1.3

4) Not stated

33.9

38.0

31.8

10) Suppose that some family members have agreed to accept compensation for the loss of joint property, so the property that the family lost in 1948 will become the property of the state of Israel. What would you do in this case?

1) I will insist on returning even if I have no property to return to

31.3

33.8

30.1

2) I will stay where I am now as a refugee if I am not allowed to return

20.6

16.9

22.4

3) I will accept equitable compensation and will accept one of the other options

6.4

5.2

7.1

3) Not Stated

41.6

44.2

40.4

Part (3)

Questions in  part (3) have been asked to all refugees who have included the acceptance of compensation in their preferred choices

1) If you accept an option that includes equitable compensation for your property and losses in Israel, would you prefer the compensation to be in the real value of the property and losses or as a flat-sum compensation to be paid to every family expelled in 1948? The expression "the family expelled in 1948" includes the larger family and its children or smaller families.

1) I prefer compensation in the real value of my property

48.4

50.6

46.9

2) I prefer flat-sum compensation to every family expelled in 1948

46.1

43.5

47.9

3) No opinion/ Do not know

5.5

5.8

5.2

2) If every family expelled in 1948 receives equal compensation [the expression "the family expelled in 1948" includes the larger family and its children or smaller families], what is the amount that you think will be paid for compensation regardless whether you think that amount is just or not?

1) Less than US$ 100,000

66.0

47.0

62.0

2) US$ 101,000 – 200,000

9.0

8.0

10.0

3) US$ 201,000 – 500,000

9.0

9.0

9.0

4) More than US$ 500,000

16.0

9.0

19.0

3) If every family expelled in 1948 receives equal compensation [the expression "the family expelled in 1948" includes the larger family and its children or smaller families], what do you think would be a just amount for compensation?

1) Less than US$ 100,000

35.0

38.0

32.0

2) US$ 101,000 – 200,000

15.0

12.0

17.0

3) US$ 201,000 – 500,000

14.0

64.0

13.0

4) More than US$ 500,000

36.0

36.0

38.0

4) If you are offered compensation in kind (land or houses) instead of cash, would you accept it?

1) Yes

72.6

72.3

72.8

2) No

25.1

26.2

24.4

3) No opinion/Do not know

2.3

1.5

2.7

5) If the land or the house with which you will be compensated is located inside an evacuated settlement, would you accept it?

1) Yes

47.6

47.3

47.8

2) No           

50.3

51.0

49.9

3) No opinion/Do not know

2.1

1.7

2.3

6) Who do you think should distribute these compensations to refugees?

1) PLO

22.4

24.3

21.1

2) United Nations or another international organization

16.6

18.3

15.6

3) Representatives of refugee camps

15.8

15.4

16.0

4) A joint body made up of all the above parties

41.7

38.5

43.9

5) Other (specify _________ )

3.5

3.5

3.5

Part (4)

Questions in  part (4) have been asked to all refugees who have included immigration to other countries among their preferred choices

1) If you accept to immigrate to another country, which of the following countries would you prefer? (Rank these countries according to your order of preference, number 1 being your first choice and 4 your last  choice) [You can assign the same number to different choices]:

Countries of first choice:

1) Any European country

34.0

33.0

34.0

2) Australia

32.0

7.0

42.0

3) United States

12.0

12.5

11.0

4) Canada

28.0

44.0

22.0

2) If you are able to immigrate to the country of your first choice, which citizenship would you prefer to have?

1) The citizenship of the host country

7.1

12.5

5.0

2) Palestinian citizenship

17.9

25.0

15.0

3) Both citizenships

75.0

62.0

80.0

Part (5)

Questions in  part (5) have been asked to all refugees who have included among their preferred choices staying in or returning to the Palestinian state or those areas in Israel (areas of 1948) that will later become part of the Palestinian state as part of a territorial exchange 

1) Which areas in the state would you like to live in?

1) Gaza Strip

62.6

71.2

56.8

2) West Bank

36.8

28.3

42.5

3) No opinion/Do not know

0.6

0.4

0.7

2) If you have chosen the West Bank, which area would you prefer to reside in?

1. Jenin

8.0

1.5

10.9

2. Tubas

0.5

0.0

0.7

3. Tulkarm

8.2

5.9

9.2

4. Qalqilya

6.4

0.0

9.2

5. Nablus

19.5

11.8

23.0

6. Ramallah

26.8

30.9

25.0

7. Jerusalem

15.7

23.5

12.2

8. Jericho

2.3

6.6

0.3

9. Bethlehem

4.8

8.1

3.3

10. Hebron

8.0

11.8

6.3

3) If you had a choice between living in an existing town or village in the West Bank or Gaza Strip and living in a town or village to be built specifically for refugees, what would you choose?

1) Living in an existing town or village

49.2

42.7

53.5

2) Living in a town or village to be built specifically for the returning refugees  

7.6

10.9

5.3

3) It makes no difference

42.7

45.7

40.6

4) No opinion/do not know

0.6

0.6

0.6

4) Do you expect that the Palestinian state will give you free housing if you wish to stay in the Palestinian state?

1) Yes

34.3

35.3

33.6

2) No

58.5

59.5

57.8

3) No opinion/do not know

7.2

5.1

8.6

5) If you are allowed to live in a house that has been evacuated by settlers, would you accept that? 

1) Yes

44.4

44.3

44.4

2) No

54.6

54.8

54.4

3) No opinion/do not know

1.0

0.9

1.1

6) If you are allowed to own a piece of land and take up farming in the event you stay in the Palestinian state, would you accept that?

1) Yes          

84.7

85.7

84.1

2) No

14.2

13.9

14.4

3) No opinion/do not know

1.0

0.4

1.4

7) When making a decision regarding the location of your residency in the Palestinian state, how important for you to live near the same neighbors you have now in the refugee camp or neighborhood where you currently live? 

1) Very important

19.9

19.7

20.0

2) Important

33.4

34.9

32.4

3) Somehow important

12.8

14.3

11.7

4) Not important

27.3

26.1

28.1

5) Not important at all

6.1

4.9

6.9

6) No opinion/do not know

0.5

0.0

0.9

8) When making a decision regarding the location of your residency in the Palestinian state, how important for you to live with or near relatives from the same family?

1) Very important

31.5

31.7

31.3

2) Important

34.3

33.2

35.1

3) Somehow important

9.9

11.3

9.0

4) Not important

19.1

18.8

19.3

5) Not important at all

4.7

4.9

4.6

6) No opinion/do not know

0.4

0.0

0.7