Views on the Palestinian Infrastructure and Political System

(2000-2004)

The Palestinian Legislative Council has carried out on 21.10.2004 a reading followed by an amendment of the Women's Quota paragraph, which grants both genders 20%-quota of the seats in the local and municipal elections. Are you with or against this amendment? (Palestinian Center for Public Opinion, November 4 - 8, 2004)

with
41.8%
Against
35.2%
Don't know
23.0%

Do you think there is corruption in the Palestinian Authority? (JMCC, June 2004)

Yes 90.3
No 3.9
I don't know 5.5
No answer 0.3

To what extent you think there is corruption in the Palestinian Authority? *Asked only to those who answered yes [to previous question]

To a large degree 55.9
To a somewhat degree 34.3
To a few degree 9.1
No answer 0.7

Do you think the Palestinian leadership are concerned with having serious/acts improvements? (JMCC, June 2004)

Yes 46.7
No 40.7
I don't know 11.4
No answer 1.2

Recently, the Palestinian Authority has been carrying out the improvements, some see it serious, others not serious, and others see the political conditions (re-occupation & checkpoints) the obstacle to the improvements success, what is your opinion? (JMCC, June 2004)

See it serious 16.7
See it not serious 39.0
The political conditions (re-occupation & checkpoints) obstacle the improvements success 40.2
No answer 4.1

After more than three years of violent conflict with Israel, and after Israel re-occupied most the West Bank and Gaza Strip, do you feel or not feel the presence of the Palestinian Authority? (JMCC, June 2004)

I feel its presence 47.4
Do not feel its presence 47.3
No answer 5.3

What is the most important difficulties the Palestinian people have suffered recently, is it political difficulties, or security or political? (JMCC, June 2004)

Economic difficulties 52.1
Security difficulties 25.4
Political difficulties 21.4
No answer 1.1

After eight months passed on Abu Ala's government, what is your opinion of the government performance? Is it very good, good, average, bad or very bad? (JMCC, June 2004)

Very good 1.5
Good 18.6
Average 32.5
Bad 24.6
Very bad 16.3
No answer 6.5

In general, how do you evaluate the performance of the Palestinian Authority, do you performance is very good, good, bad or very bad? (JMCC, June 2004)

Very good 1.4
Good 41.6
Bad 34.5
Very bad 18.1
No answer 4.4

How do you evaluate the performance of the Legislative Council, do you say its performance good, average, bad or very bad? (JMCC, June 2004)

Good 9.7
Average 34.5
Bad 32.0
Very bad 18.1
No answer 5.7

If a free and democratic elections hold in these circumstances, do you expect the Palestinian people will re-elect President Arafat? (JMCC, June 2004)

Yes 60.8
No 28.4
No answer 10.8

Are you satisfied or not satisfied regarding the way that Yasser Arafat carries out his duty as President of the Palestinian Authority? (JMCC, June 2004)

Very satisfied 13.8
Somewhat satisfied 31.7
Somewhat not satisfied 21.3
Not satisfied 25.7
No answer 7.5

There is a discussion within the International political divisions whether the Palestinian president has full control on the Palestinian internal situation or that he is somewhat on control, or somewhat does not have control, or he does not have control at all, what do you think? (JMCC, June 2004)

President Arafat has full control on the internal situation 13.0
President Arafat somewhat control the internal situation 35.8
President Arafat somewhat does not have control on the internal situation 26.4
President Arafat does not have control at all on the internal situation 21.4
No answer 3.4

The Palestinian Authority decided to create a position of prime minister. Do you support or oppose this step? (Source: PSR, April 2003)

  Total West Bank Gaza Strip
Strongly support 7.9 7.9 7.9
Support 56.5 54.9 59.1
Oppose 21.6 21.4 21.9
Strongly oppose 6.8 7.2 6.1
No opinion / do not know 7.2 8.5 5.1

Do you see, or not see, in the appointment of Abu Mazen as a prime minister erosion in the authority and status of president Yasir Arafat? (Source: PSR, April 2003)

  Total % West Bank % Gaza Strip %
I definitely see that 21.2 22.7 18.8
I see that 28.9 29.0 28.7
No I do not see that 35.2 34.4 36.6
I definitely do not see that 8.1 7.0 9.9
No opinion / do not know 6.5 7.0 5.9

Do you believe that the decision to create a prime minister’s position came from external pressures and influences or as a result of a Palestinian conviction that this is in the interest of the Palestinian people? Or both? (Source: JMCC Poll, April 2003)
Total
West Bank
Gaza
N=1201

N=761

N=440
It came due to external pressures and influences.
67.8
66.9
69.3
It came as a result of a Palestinian conviction that it is in the interest of the Palestinian people.
6.2
5.8
6.8
Both, due to external pressures and as a result of Palestinian 1conviction that it is in the interest of the Palestinian people.
19.2
19.6
18.6
I don’t know
5.7
6.3
4.8
No answer
1.1
1.4
0.5

Do you strongly, or somewhat, support or strongly, or somewhat, oppose conducting presidential elections in January 2003? (Source: JMCC Poll, September 2002)

 
Total 
West Bank
Gaza Strip
N=1199
N=759
N=440
Strongly support
 30.8
 31.5
 29.5
Somewhat support
 34.4
 29.5
 42.7
Strongly oppose
 15.9
 17.0
 14.1
Somewhat oppose
 9.6
 10.5
 8.0
I don't know/No opinion
 7.3
9.0 
4.5 
No answer
2.0
2.5
1.2

Do you strongly, or somewhat, support or strongly, or somewhat, oppose conducting Legislative Council elections in January 2003? (Source: JMCC Poll, September 2002) 

 
Total 
West Bank
Gaza Strip
N=1199
N=759
N=440
Strongly support
 38.6
40.4 
35.5 
Somewhat support
 34.6
 30.2
 42.3
Strongly oppose
 12.0
 12.6
 10.9
Somewhat oppose
 6.4
 5.9
 7.3
I don't know/No opinion
 6.8
 9.0
 3.0
No answer
1.6
1.9
1.0

In your opinion, do you think that there is a need for a Prime Minister position in the Palestinian National Authority? (Source: JMCC Poll, September 2002)

 
Total 
West Bank
Gaza Strip
N=1199
N=759
N=440
There is a need
42.5 
44.3 
 39.3
There is no need
41.7 
 37.2
 49.5
I don't know
12.9 
 14.9
9.5 
No answer
2.9
3.6
1.7

The Palestinian Authority announced its intention to hold general political elections for the president and the Legislative Council next January. Are you going to participate in those elections? (Source: PSR August 2002)

 
Total (5/02)
Total (8/02)
Total (11/02)
West Bank (5/02)
West Bank (8/02)
West Bank (11/02)
Gaza Strip (5/02)
Gaza Strip (8/02)
Gaza Strip (11/02)
Definitely yes
--
--
28.3
--
-
24.6
-
--
34.3

Yes

77.4

69.4

45.0
74.3

66.3

47.1
82.2

74.4

41.5

No

20.5

27.2

19.4
23.7

28.9

21.9
15.4

24.5

15.3
Definitely no
--
--
5.4
--
--
4.2
--
--
7.3

Do not know / no opinion

2.1

3.4

2.0
2.0

4.8

2.2
2.4

1.2

1.6

The Palestinian Authority is recently detaining some Palestinian activists, what is your opinion: is this measure justified, or is it unjustified? (Source: JMCC Poll, December 2001) 

 
Total 
West Bank
Gaza Strip
 
n= 1201
n=761
n=440
Justified
20.2
 19.6
21.4
Unjustified
71.9
69.9
75.2
No answer 
7.9
10.5
3.4

Some believe that the current conditions stipulate the formation of a national unity government while others believe that it is better to keep the political situation in Palestine as it is. What do you think? (Source: JMCC Poll, June 2001)

 
Total 
West Bank
Gaza Strip
n= 1201
n=761
n=440
Formation of national unity government
 69.0
65.6
75.0
Keep the political situation in Palestine as it is
18.6
21.6
13.4
No answer
12.4
12.8
11.6

 

In general, how do you evaluate the Palestinian Authority's performance? Would say its performance is very good, bad, or very bad? (The Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre (JMCC), December 2000)  

  Total  West Bank Gaza Strip
  n= 1199 n=759 n=440
Very good  5.2 3.8 7.5
Good 50.3 55.2 41.8
Bad 23.4 22.0 25.7
Very bad 13.9 10.4 20.0
No answer 7.2 8.6 5.0

How do you evaluate the performance of the following Palestinian Authority agencies? (The Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre (JMCC), December 2000)  

Security agencies 

  Total  West Bank Gaza Strip
  n= 1199 n=759 n=440
Good  31.5 29.8 34.5
Average 35.3 37.7 31.1
Bad 28.4 25.7 33.2
No answer 4.8 6.8 1.2

Legislative Council 

  Total  West Bank Gaza Strip
  n= 1199 n=759 n=440
Good  19.3 17.8 22.0
Average 33.7 34.0 33.2
Bad 37.6 34.8 42.5
No answer 9.4 13.4 2.3

Ministerial Cabinet (Executive Authority) 

  Total  West Bank Gaza Strip
  n= 1199 n=759 n=440
Good  21.3 20.7   22.3
Average  32.5  32.4  32.7
Bad  33.4  29.6  39.8
No answer 12.8   17.3 5.2

Palestinian Education System 

  Total  West Bank Gaza Strip
  n= 1199 n=759 n=440
Good  54.1 52.4 57.0
Average 33.6 35.6 30.2
Bad 11.2 10.5 12.3
No answer 1.1 1.5 0.5

Palestinian Health System 

  Total  West Bank Gaza Strip
  n= 1199 n=759 n=440
Good  48.6 42.2 59.8
Average 32.4 37.0 24.5
Bad 17.7 19.0 15.5
No answer 1.3 1.8 0.2

Palestinian Television 

  Total  West Bank Gaza Strip
  n= 1199 n=759 n=440
Good  47.7 49.7 44.3
Average 34.6 35.0 33.9
Bad 15.3 11.9 21.4
No answer 2.4 3.4 0.4

Palestinian Radio (Voice of Palestine) 

  Total  West Bank Gaza Strip
  n= 1199 n=759 n=440
Good  47.7 48.4 46.6
Average 33.7 35.0 31.4
Bad 15.4 12.6 20.2
No answer 3.2 4.0 1.8

What are the most important characteristics for a Palestinian state in your opinion: Independent, Democratic, Islamic, Nationalist, or secular? (Source: JMCC Poll, March 2000)

First Important Characteristics
 

Total 
West Bank
Gaza Strip
n= 1200
n=762
n=438
Independent
35.5
34.4
 37.5
Democratic
12.3
13.4
10.5
Islamic
43.4
42.9
44.3
Nationalist
3.7
3.4
4.1
Secular
1.8
1.7
1.8
No answer
3.3
4.2
1.8

Second Important Characteristics
 

Total 
West Bank
Gaza Strip
n= 1200
n=762
n=438
Independent
33.3
34.5
30.6
Democratic
32.8
30.8
36.1
Islamic
18.6
17.2
21.2
Nationalist
7.6
8.2
6.6
Secular
1.7
1.7
1.6
No answer
6.3
7.6
3.9

Third Important Characteristics
 

Total 
West Bank
Gaza Strip
n= 1200
n=762
n=438
Independent
19.2
18.8
20.0
Democratic
28.8
27.0
32.0
Islamic
15.2
15.6
14.6
Nationalist
22.2
21.1
24.0
Secular
3.3
3.9
2.1
No answer
11.3
13.6
7.3