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Palestinian Public Opinion Polls: Attitudes Toward Democracy

(Updated April 2013)

Do you prefer democracy or a powerful leader? (Pew Research Forum, April 2013)

 
Total 
Strong Leader
40%
Democracy
55%

How much influence should religious leaders have in politics? (Pew Research Forum, April 2013)

 
Total 
Large Influece
29%
Some Influence
43%

How do Islamic political parties compare to non-religious political parties? (Pew Research Forum, April 2013)

 
Total 
Worse
29%
Better
21%
About the Same
44%

 

Jerusalem Media & Communications Centre Poll - May 1995

Whom do you think has control over water resources in the autonomous areas? Is it:

 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Palestinian National Authority 
41.1%
41.6%
40.2%
Israeli Military Government
49.1%
47.7%
52.2%
Other organizations
1.6%
1.9%
0.9%
No opinion
8.2%
8.8%
6.7%

Are Israeli military orders still in force in the autonomous areas?

 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Military orders are still in force 
47.7%
46.3%
50.7%
Military orders are not in force
15.4%
18.1%
9.7%
Some in force and others are not 
31.8%
29.6%
37.0%
No opinion 
5.1%
5.9%
2.6%

In your opinion, would you say that autonomy is a step forward towards the implementation of full Palestinian political rights?

 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Yes
39.6%
38.2%
43.1%
No
39.9%
40.0%
40.2%
Nothing new 
16.2%
16.7%
14.7%
Other
1.3%
1.7%
0.6%
No opinion 
3.0%
3.5%
1.5%

What is the role of Israeli policies and practices on the democratic situation in the autonomous area?

 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Has no role
20.7%
19.4%
23.5%
Limits democracy 
66.6%
65.6%
69.5%
Interfers somewhat 
1.5%
1.1%
2.4%
No opinion 
11.2%
14.0%
4.7%

What in your opinion are the five most difficult problems facing the Palestinian Authority:

 
First Problem
Second Problem
Donor Countries
9.0%
6.3%
Settlements
4.0%
3.2%
Unemployment
7.2%
7.2%
The economy
22.3%
14.0%
Occupation
5.1%
4.0%
Chios in the PA 
0.8%
2.4%
Education
0.2%
1.0%
Prices
0.7%
1.4%
Housing
1.4%
2.2%
Chios in cities
0.2%
0.7%
The closure
2.6%
3.6%
Check points
0.3%
1.8%
Expettees
0.2%
0.3%
Opposition
12.8%
7.4%
Intifada-related problems 
0.5%
0.7%
Security
2.9%
3.0%
Leadership
0.1%
0.1%
Land Confiscation
---
0.3%
Human rights violation
0.3%
1.4%
Detaines
0.3%
3.5%
Al-Aqsa Mosque
2.5%
2.3%
Control over natural resources
0.1%
1.0%
Non utilization of qualified people 
1.5%
1.1%
Lack of public confidence towards the PA 
0.2%
2.2%
Jerusalem
1.6%
3.1%
Inability to cotrol the situation
2.5%
0.3%
Collaborators
0.6%
0.3%
National Unity
1.2%
1.6%
Infrastructure
0.8%
2.2%
Borders
0.7%
0.7%
Rabin
0.1%
0.5%
To go to Israel for their decisions
0.6%
1.3%
No seperation of power
0.1%
0.1%
Insufficient Jurisdiction
1.7%
0.3%
Hatred of Islamic nation of the authority
0.1%
0.5%
Arafat
0.2%
0.5%
Transfer of authority
1.1%
2.2%
Suppression
0.3%
0.9%
Lack of weapons
0.1%
0.8%
Israel's non compliance with Oslo
3.3%
0.3%
Political problems
0.7%
0.3%
Suicidal attacks
0.3%
---
Normulization
0.1%
---
Social problems
0.1%
---
No answer
7.1%
13.1%

What are the most important issues you would like to know about the agreement with Israel?

 
Total
Final status
12.8%
Boundaries of Palestine
4.9%
Limitations on the PA
1.8%
Israeli commitments
5.4%
Progress in hte PA's jurisdiction 
3.6%
Jerusalem
15.6%
Refugees and detainees
6.2%
Why the PA approved the agreement 
1.7%
The articles of the agreement
17.0%
Where are my rights?
5.0%
Collaborators
0.3%
Is it a real peace?
1.1%
Settlements
2.8%
The Palestinian Issue
0.7%
Redeployment
0.7%
The economic situation
0.5%
Water, Zonning
0.4%
No answer
17.5%

Are the following statements very important, somewhat important, or not at all important to you?

Total

  Very Important  Somewhat important  Not Important 
No opinion 
Law and order
95.7% 
2.2%
0.6%
1.5%
Elections
88.6%
7.6%
2.0%
1.8%
Settlements
68.7%
2.7%
25.2%
3.5%
Jerusalem
97.9%
0.4%
0.4%
1.3%
Democracy
82.7%
9.5%
3.6%
4.2%
Radicalism
38.3%
13.9%
37.5%
10.3%
Economic situation 
95.4%
2.1%
0.8%
1.7%
Crime
64.8%
10.1%
20.2%
4.9%
Education
97.4%
1.1%
0.3%
1.2%
Housing
93.6%
4.5%
0.5%
1.3%

West Bank
 

  Very Important  Somewhat important  Not Important 
No opinion 
Law and order
96.1% 
2.2%
0.6%
1.1%
Elections
88.5%
7.9%
1.8%
1.8%
Settlements
71.7%
3.0%
22.4%
3.5%
Jerusalem
98.2%
0.4%
0.3%
1.1%
Democracy
80.4%
10.8%
3.3%
5.5%
Radicalism
38.0%
15.9%
35.8%
10.2%
Economic situation 
95.0%
2.5%
1.0%
1.5%
Crime
66.4%
10.1%
18.4%
5.1%
Education
97.4%
1.2%
0.3%
1.1%
Housing
92.4%
5.7%
0.6%
1.3%

Gaza Strip
 

  Very Important  Somewhat important  Not Important 
No opinion 
Law and order
95.3% 
2.3%
0.9%
1.5%
Elections
89.1%
7.6%
2.6%
1.2%
Settlements
63.9%
2.1%
31.1%
2.9%
Jerusalem
97.9%
0.3%
0.6%
1.2%
Democracy
88.2%
7.0%
3.8%
0.6%
Radicalism
39.0%
16.0%
41.3%
9.7%
Economic situation 
97.1%
0.9%
0.6%
1.5%
Crime
61.9%
10.0%
24.3%
3.8%
Education
97.9%
0.9%
0.3%
0.9%
Housing
96.8%
2.1%
0.3%
0.9%

Q.40 Which are the four political or religious organizations you trust most? (Source: JMCC Poll, May 1995)
 

 
Total

First Problem

Total 

Second Problem 

Fateh
37.7%
6.9%
Hamas
15.3%
11.7%
PFLP
3.2%
5.6%
DFLP
1.6%
5.1%
Islamic Jihad
3.8%
9.9%
PPP
1.2%
3.1%
FIDA
0.6%
1.1%
Islamic movements
3.4%
0.7%
Do not trust anyone
9.2%
9.4%
Opposition
0.3%
---
Islamic religion
1.6%
9.5%
Palestinian National Authority
2.3%
0.6%
PLO
1.1%
0.6%
Others
1.8%
2.9%
No answer
17.0%
42.1%

Q.41 If elections were held soon, would you vote? (Source: JMCC Poll, May 1995)
 

 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Yes
71.9%
71.9%
72.4%
No
14.5%
13.7%
16.1%
Depends on the political situation 
11.5%
12.4%
9.7%
No opinion 
2.1%
1.9%
1.8%

Q.42 How would you describe your financial situation? (Source: JMCC Poll, May 1995)
 

 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Excellent 
2.4%
2.6%
2.1%
Very good
5.1%
5.8%
3.5%
Good
20.9%
23.1%
16.4%
Fair 
37.3%
39.1%
33.7%
Difficult
12.3%
10.4%
16.4%
Very difficult 
7.8%
7.2%
9.1%
Miserable
13.3%
10.9%
18.2%
No opinion
0.9%
0.8%
0.6%

Q. 43 Education: (Source: JMCC Poll, May 1995)
 

 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
No schooling 
3.6% 
4.1%
2.1%
One year of schooling 
0.7% 
0.7%
0.6%
Two Years of schooling 
1.0% 
1.4%
0.3%
Three years of schooling 
0.5% 
0.4%
0.6%
Four years of schooling
2.5%
3.2%
1.2%
Five years of schooling
3.0%
3.3%
2.3%
Six years of schooling
6.0%
6.5%
5.0%
Seven years of schooling 
3.5%
4.0%
2.3%
Eight years of schooling
5.1%
5.3%
5.0%
Nine Years of schooling 
7.4%
7.9%
6.2%
Ten years of schooling
5.2%
5.4%
5.0%
Eleven yerars of schooling 
4.8%
4.3%
5.6%
Twelve years of schooling
56.5%
53.4%
63.9%
No answer 
0.2%
0.1%
0.0%

Q.44 University/College: (Source: JMCC Poll, May 1995)
 

 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
No college education 
60.7% 
65.0%
51.9%
One year
3.9% 
3.5%
5.0%
Two years
15.2% 
13.0%
19.9%
Three years
3.2% 
2.9%
3.8%
Four years
9.8%
8.6%
12.6%
Five years
1.6%
1.2%
2.3%
Six years
0.7%
0.7%
0.6%
Seven years
0.4%
0.3%
0.0%
Eight years
0.3%
0.4%
0.0%
No answer
4.3%
4.3%
3.2%

Q.46 Social status (Source: JMCC Poll, May 1995)
 

 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Single
32.8%
35.3%
28.2%
Married
62.7%
60.7%
66.9%
Divorced
0.7%
0.7%
0.9%
Widow
2.6%
2.6%
2.6%
No opinion 
1.2%
0.6%
1.5%

Q. 47 Profession (Source: JMCC Poll, May 1995)
 

 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Workers
10.6% 
13.0%
5.6%
Clerks
6.5% 
5.7%
8.2%
House Wives
40.0% 
40.1%
39.3%
Unemployed
10.2% 
9.4%
12.0%
Professional
7.8%
7.3%
8.8%
Skilled workers
4.2%
4.3%
4.1%
Students
8.4%
8.2%
9.1%
Businessmen
3.5%
2.6%
5.3%
Retired
2.0%
1.8%
1.8%
Farmers
1.8%
2.6%
1.5%
Clergy
0.1%
0.1%
0.0%
Policemen/soldiers
0.6%
0.1%
1.5%
Government employee
0.6%
0.1%
1.5%
Para professionals
0.4%
0.3%
0.6%
No answer
3.6%
4.4%
1.8%

Q.48 Religion (Source: JMCC Poll, May 1995)
 

 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Moslems
96.4%
95.6%
98.5%
Christians
2.4%
3.2%
0.9%
No opinion 
1.2%
1.2%
0.6%

Q.49 Gender? (Source: JMCC Poll, May 1995)
 

 
Total 
West Bank 
Gaza Strip 
Female
60.0%
60.0%
60.4%
Male
39.3%
39.5%
39.3%
No opinion 
5.7%
0.5%
0.3%