Palestinian Attitudes Toward Democracy

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%

Palestinian Public Opinion Polls: Attitudes Toward Democracy

(Updated April 2013)

	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%

	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%