Public Opinion Poll # 28
Living Conditions
Evaluation of Institutions & Leaders
The Proposed Government
Palestinian Elections & Political Support
Palestinian - Israeli Negotiations
Hezbollah & Hamas

Release Date: 20/9/2006
Dates of fieldwork: 14-16/9/2006
Number of field researchers: 75
Sample size: 1200 Palestinians in (West Bank and Gaza Strip)
Margin of error: +/- 3%

For further information or queries, contact team coordinator Dr. Nader Said
(059-9204527) or Polling coordinator Ayman Abdul Majeed at the listed
address or through our e-mail (dsp@birzeit.edu).

For the sample distribution, please refer to Annex (3), and for the full
methodology refer to our website (http://home.birzeit.edu/dsp).

Supported by the International Republican Institute (IRI)

Contact Info:
Development Studies Programme - Birzeit University
Ramallah Office:
Irsal Str. opposite Khalid Hospital
Tel : 970 (2) 2959250
970 (2) 2958116
Fax : 970(2) 2958117
P.O. Box 1878
Ramallah, Palestine
Gaza Office:
Sa'ad Ibn Al-'As Str.
Ni'mah Commercial Center, 1st fl., office no. 104
Telefax: 970 (8) 2838884
Gaza, Palestine
E-mail: dsp@birzeit.edu

For detailed results
http://home.birzeit.edu/dsp/opinionpolls/poll28/results.html

Highlights
71% say that their living conditions have deteriorated since the January
2006 PLC elections.
44% of young Palestinians are willing to immigrate if given the opportunity.
62.3% feel that Palestinian society is not heading in the right direction.
16.1% will be able to secure basic needs without a problem for another three
months.
More than 55% view the role of political groups, PLC and Government as
(negative).
UNRWA and NGOs receive the most favorable evaluation.
44% criticize Hamas, while 40% criticize Fateh for the current crises.
95% criticize Israel and the United States, while 68% criticize the UN.
20 points decline in the popularity of the President, and 25 points decline
in the evaluation of Prime Minister.
60.4% evaluate the implementation of the Hamas program by the new government
as weak.
57% are unable to reiterate the Hamas election agenda.
56.6% support the strike organized by public service employees and teachers.
53.7% evaluate the performance of the government in dealing with the strike
as negative.
55.3% believe that ministers should be selected from outside the PLC.
62.8% oppose keeping the PLC and the Cabinet as they are.
60.0% support the dissolution of the PLC and the conduct of a new PLC
election.
65.8% support dissolving the current government and forming a unity
government led by Hamas.
61.9% support the President appointing an independent prime minister.
54.7% support the President appointing a ministerial cabinet that is fully
independent.
No change in Fateh's popularity at (42%); decline in Hamas's popularity to
(37%).
52.0% support the idea that Hamas must recognize the agreements signed
between the PLO and Israel.
62.3% oppose the idea that Hamas must recognize Israel at this point of
time.
68.8% believe the performance of Hezbollah is better than that of Hamas.