Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre
POBox: 25047 Jerusalem
Tel: 02-2976555
Fax: 02-2976557
Email: poll@jmcc.org
Website: www.jmcc.org

Poll No. 85 March 2016

A random sample of 1200 people over the age of 18 was interviewed
face-to-face throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip between 1st and 5th
March 2016. In the West Bank 750 people were surveyed In the Gaza Strip
450 people were surveyed. The margin of error is ±3 percent, with a
confidence level of 95%.

Results:
Q1. To what extent do you feel optimistic or pessimistic regarding the
future in general? Would you say that you are very optimistic, optimistic,
pessimistic, or very pessimistic?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Very optimistic 6.5 6.5 6.4
Optimistic 50.8 51.5 49.6
Pessimistic 25.6 23.9 28.4
Very pessimistic 16.8 18.0 14.9
No answer 0.3 0.1 0.7

Q2. Do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose or strongly
oppose the continuation of the current uprising?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Strongly support 22.0 16.5 31.1
Somewhat support 33.9 27.5 44.7
Somewhat oppose 22.4 26.4 15.8
Strongly oppose 18.6 25.2 7.6
No answer 3.1 4.4 0.8

Q3. To what extent do you support or oppose the continuation of knife
attacks against Israelis?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Strongly support 25.3 18.1 37.1
Somewhat support 30.9 24.0 42.4
Somewhat oppose 21.4 25.1 15.3
Strongly oppose 19.7 28.8 4.4
No answer 2.7 4.0 0.8

Q4. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way that Mahmoud Abbas (Abu
Mazen) is dealing
with his job as a president of the PA?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Very satisfied 16.5 17.1 15.6
Satisfied to some extent 28.8 31.2 24.9
Dissatisfied to some extent 16.0 14.7 18.2
Very dissatisfied 34.5 31.7 39.1
No answer 4.2 5.3 2.2

Q5. Do you think that Prime Minster Dr. Rami al-Hamdallah is doing a good,
average, or a bad job as a Prime Minster?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Good 22.2 24.1 18.9
Average 37.8 36.7 39.6
Bad 33.5 31.3 37.1
No answer 6.5 7.9 4.4

Q6. In general, how would you evaluate the performance of the PNA? Would you
say its performance is very good, good, bad or very bad?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Very good 7.3 6.0 9.6
Good 47.5 48.5 45.8
Bad 24.9 24.4 25.8
Very bad 17.9 17.9 18.0
No answer 2.4 3.2 0.8

Q7. How do you evaluate the performance of the following Palestinian
Authority agencies? Do you see them good – average - or bad?
Total West Bank Gaza
1- Security agencies n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Good 31.2 35.1 24.7
Average 31.3 30.1 33.1
Bad 32.8 29.2 38.7
No answer 4.7 5.6 3.5

Total West Bank Gaza
2- Legislative Council n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Good 16.4 16.7 16.0
Average 29.1 26.7 33.1
Bad 42.3 40.9 44.4
No answer 12.2 15.7 6.5

Total West Bank Gaza
3- Council of Ministers (Executive Authority)
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Good 20.3 22.1 17.1
Average 36.3 31.9 43.6
Bad 33.9 32.9 35.6
No answer 9.5 13.1 3.7

Total West Bank Gaza
4-Palestinian Education System
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Good 31.0 30.7 31.6
Average 38.1 34.7 43.8
Bad 29.3 32.3 24.4
No answer 1.6 2.3 0.2

Total West Bank Gaza
5- Palestinian Health System
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Good 26.6 29.9 21.1
Average 41.9 41.9 42.0
Bad 30.0 26.0 36.7
No answer 1.5 2.2 0.2

Total West Bank Gaza
6- Palestinian Television n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Good 31.8 36.9 23.1
Average 35.3 32.9 39.1
Bad 29.5 25.9 35.6
No answer 3.4 4.3 2.2

Total West Bank Gaza
7- Palestinian Radio n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Good 30.8 34.3 25.1
Average 34.5 32.7 37.6
Bad 25.8 22.7 31.1
No answer 8.9 10.3 6.2

Total West Bank Gaza
8- Ministry of Interior (passports, ID cards, other documents)
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Good 40.2 50.8 22.4
Average 31.6 26.0 40.9
Bad 23.0 17.5 32.2
No answer 5.2 5.7 4.5

Total West Bank Gaza
9- Ministry of social affairs
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Good 22.7 24.8 19.1
Average 35.1 32.3 39.8
Bad 35.8 33.3 39.8
No answer 6.4 9.6 1.3

Total West Bank Gaza
10- Vehicle and traffic department
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Good 28.8 37.9 13.8
Average 34.5 32.5 37.8
Bad 26.4 16.4 43.1
No answer 10.3 13.2 5.3


Q8- There is a debate on the future of the PNA whereby some people believe
that dissolving the PNA is necessary now while others believe that the
perpetuation of the PNA and maintaining it is a necessity. What do you
think?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Dissolving the PNA is necessary 25.9 26.1 25.6
Perpetuating and maintaining the PNA is a necessity 68.1 66.5 70.7
I don’t know \ No answer 6.0 7.4 3.7


Q9- Do you think there is corruption in the PNA?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Yes 76.5 73.2 82.2
No 12.7 13.9 10.4
I don’t know\ No answer 10.8 12.9 7.4

Q10- Do you expect “ Fatah” and “ Hamas” movements to reach reconciliation
in 2016?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Yes 27.8 24.5 33.1
No 61.3 60.9 61.8
I don’t know \ No answer 10.9 14.6 5.1

Q11- If the political division continues and elections are not held in all
of the Palestinian territories, would you support holding elections in the
West Bank and Jerusalem, without the Gaza Strip?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Yes, support 18.0 22.9 9.8
No, I don’t support 76.8 69.6 88.9
I don’t know \ No answer 5.2 7.5 1.3


Q12- According to the basic Law, the legislative and presidential elections
should have been held five years ago. Do you prefer holding elections soon
under any circumstances, or do you prefer holding elections only after
reconciliation is completed?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Prefer holding elections soon under any circumstances 37.6 36.8 38.9
Prefer holding elections only after reconciliation is completed 54.1 52.9
56.0
I don’t know \ No answer 8.3 10.3 5.1

Q13- To what extent do you follow the news about the current reconciliation
efforts between Fatah and Hamas?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
To a very large extent 7.3 6.7 8.2
To a large extent 22.7 22.8 22.4
To a moderate extent 34.1 34.8 32.9
To a small extent 21.4 22.0 20.4
I don’t follow 14.2 13.3 15.6
No answer 0.3 0.4 0.5

Q14- Do you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly
disagree with peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israel?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Strongly agree 10.8 9.7 12.4
Somewhat agree 40.5 42.9 36.4
Somewhat disagree 22.9 20.4 27.1
Strongly disagree 21.8 20.9 23.1
No answer 4.0 6.1 1.0

Q15- If negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians were to be
resumed, who would you prefer to act as the mediator between the two sides?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
The European Union 22.5 22.5 22.4
Egypt 19.2 13.7 28.2
The United Nations 17.9 17.2 19.1
The Mideast Quartet 16.3 16.0 16.7
The United States 4.9 6.4 2.4
No answer 19.2 24.2 11.2

Q16- Should the PLO continue or end the security coordination with Israel?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Continue security coordination 43.4 43.6 43.1
End security coordination 48.2 45.5 52.7
I don’t know 8.4 10.9 4.2

Q17- Israel announced recently that it would suspend civil coordination
(e.g. permits, medical referrals, family reunifications, etc.) with the PA
if the security coordination is halted, in this case, do you support halting
or continuing security coordination?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Continue security coordination 52.7 51.1 55.3
End security coordination 38.6 38.0 39.6
I don’t know \ No answer 8.7 10.9 5.1

Q18- Do you support a change in Palestinian policy, from demanding an
independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to demanding equal rights
for Arabs and Jews in one state in Historical Palestine, from the river to
the sea?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Yes, I support 24.8 28.4 18.9
No, I don’t support 69.0 62.7 79.6
I don’t know \ No answer 6.2 8.9 1.5

Q19- Lately, there has been news in the media about ISIS forces advancing in
Iraq and Syria. What responses do you have towards this: very positive,
moderately positive, moderately negative, or very negative?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Very positive 0.9 0.7 1.3
Moderately positive 5.2 5.2 5.1
Moderately negative 18.8 19.6 17.6
Very negative 63.3 60.1 68.7
No opinion 11.8 14.4 7.3

Q20- Do you think ISIS serves the Palestinian cause? Does it harm it? Or
does it have no impact on the cause?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
It serves the Palestinian cause 2.8 2.7 3.1
It harms it 52.1 44.1 65.3
It has no impact on it 38.9 45.2 28.4
No answer 6.2 8.0 3.2

Q21- If presidential elections were to take place today and Mahmoud Abbas
(abu Mazen) would not run again, whom would you vote for?*
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Marwan Barghouthi 15.3 16.0 14.0
Isma’el Haniyeh 8.9 6.9 12.2
Mohamad Dahlan 5.9 1.9 12.7
Sa’eb ‘Eriqat 3.0 2.3 4.2
I won’t vote 1.7 1.3 2.2
No one 1.8 2.7 0.4
Others 18.4 18.5 18.2
I don’t know \ No answer 45.0 50.4 36.1
*This is an open-ended question, no options were given to the interviewee

Q22- Some shake hands with the other sex while others don’t, how about you?
Do you shake hands with the other sex?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
I shake hands with the other sex 33.2 35.9 28.7
I don’t shake hands with the other sex 65.8 62.7 70.9
No answer 1.0 1.4 0.4

Q23- Why don’t you shake hands with the other sex? Is it for religious or
social reasons (traditions and habits)? *
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 789 n= 470 n=319
Religious reasons 87.3 84.7 91.2
Social reasons (traditions and habits) 11.3 13.4 8.2
No answer 1.4 1.9 0.6
*This question was asked to those answered that they don’t shake hands in
the previous question

Q24- What do you think about the EU decision to put labels on settlement
imports distinguishing them from Israeli imports in the European market? Do
you think this is a good plan? A bad one? Or it does not make a difference
either way?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
A good plan 46.0 46.5 45.1
A bad plan 8.3 8.8 7.3
It does not make a difference either way 42.4 40.7 45.3
No answer 3.3 4.0 2.3

Q25- Do you use the internet as a news source?
Total West Bank Gaza
n= 1200 n= 750 n=450
Yes 62.8 66.5 56.7
No 36.2 32.5 42.2
No answer 1.0 1.0 1.1

Q26- Which Political or religious faction do you trust the most?
Total West Bank Gaza
n=1200 n= 750 n=450
Fatah 35.5 36.9 33.1
Hamas 16.5 15.1 18.9
PFLP 3.0 2.8 3.3
Other Islamic factions 2.8 2.0 4.0
Others 2.9 3.1 2.7
Don’t trust anyone 35.6 35.7 35.3
No answer 3.7 4.4 2.7
*This was an open-ended question no options were read to the interviewee

Q27. Which Palestinian personality do you trust the most?*
Total West Bank Gaza
n=1200 n= 750 n=450
Mahmoud Abass ( Abu Mazen) 14.4 18.5 7.6
Isma’el Haniyeh 10.8 8.0 15.3
Marwan Barghouthi 9.9 10.3 9.3
Mohamad Dahlan 4.3 0.5 10.7
Khaled Misha’l 3.5 3.5 3.6
Others 14.8 14.4 15.3
Don’t trust anyone 36.8 37.7 35.3
No answer 5.5 7.1 2.9
*This was an open-ended question no options were read to the interviewee