The following data come from a poll conducted by An-Najah National University’s Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies (OPSSC) on 13–15 October 2016. The results are based on a survey of 1,362 men and women from the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. The complete poll, the 53d in a series, can be found at www.najah.edu.
1. Do you support or reject the [PA’s] decision to postpone municipality and local council elections after the ruling of the Palestinian Supreme Court to conduct them only in the West Bank?
West Bank | Gaza Strip | Total | |
1) I support | 37.5% | 31.8% | 35.4% |
2) I reject | 54.6% | 62.6% | 57.6% |
3) Don’t know/Not applicable | 7.9% | 5.6% | 7.0% |
2. Do you believe that the current circumstances are suitable for conducting municipality and local council elections?
West Bank | Gaza Strip | Total | |
1) Yes | 56.3% | 53.0% | 55.1% |
2) No | 39.3% | 39.6% | 39.4% |
3) Don’t know/Not applicable | 4.4% | 7.4% | 55.5% |
3. In your opinion, who is responsible for postponing the municipality and local council elections?
West Bank | Gaza Strip | Total | |
1) The PA | 37.9% | 8.4% | 27.1% |
2) Fatah | 8.6% | 11.6% | 9.7%% |
3) Hamas | 5.7% | 31.6% | 15.2% |
4) Both Hamas and Fatah | 25.3% | 31.6% | 27.6% |
5) Some other Palestinian factions | 5.5% | 2.2% | 4.3% |
6) Some independent personalities | 3.9% | 1.0% | 2.9% |
7) Don’t know/Not applicable | 13.1% | 13.6% | 13.3% |
4. Do you expect municipality and local council elections to be conducted in the near future?
West Bank | Gaza Strip | Total | |
1) Yes | 57.8% | 44.2% | 52.8% |
2) No | 36.9% | 46.8% | 40.5% |
3) Don’t know/Not applicable | 5.3% | 9.0% | 6.7% |
5. Do you support or reject the French Initiative which calls for holding an international conference for peace in the Middle East?
West Bank | Gaza Strip | Total | |
1) I support | 53.8% | 59.6% | 55.9% |
2) I reject | 35.5% | 25.0% | 31.6% |
3) Don’t know/Not applicable | 10.7% | 15.4% | 12.4% |
6. Do you think that the French Initiative to foster the possibilities of peace between Palestinians and Israelis will succeed or fail?
West Bank | Gaza Strip | Total | |
1) It will succeed | 17.4% | 22.6% | 19.3% |
2) It will fail | 68.8% | 53.2% | 63.1% |
3) Don’t know/Not applicable | 13.8% | 24.2% | 17.6% |