Members of the Central Elections Commission seal the empty ballot box in the early morning before the first voters arrive at a polling station in northern Gaza. (PCHR)
 
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Birzeit University Development Studies Programme
The DSP was established in 1997. It conducts research and activities in human development, community development and training and public opinion polling in the occupied Palestinian territories.
GeoCartographia Research Institute
The GeoCartographia Research Institute, headed by Prof. Avi Degani and Dr. Rina Degani, undertakes special projects in a wide range of areas. The Institute combines research expertise with wide experience of performing field surveys, and is noted for its research and for performing surveys among the specific sectors of population found in Israel.
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A current digest of media, polls, and significant interviews and events.
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JMCC periodically carries out public opinion polls assessing Palestinian attitudes on issues such as democracy and the peace process. This work is carried out independently or in collaboration with other media networks.
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The Jerusalem Media and Communication Center is the first institution in the Arab world to conduct public opinion surveys methodologically and continuously. The main aim of the JMCC with those regular opinion polls was to enhance public participation in the decision-making process by making the public’s views available to decision-makers, and, also, to enable academics, researchers, and others to use scientifically collected data in their studies and policy projects.
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Analyses of public opinion polls and surveys in the occupied Palestinian territories.
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Polls and Public Opinion Surveys
 
Election posters on a Ramallah wall. (Maureen Clare Murphy/Electronic Intifada)
Election posters on a Ramallah wall. (Maureen Clare Murphy/Electronic Intifada)

Peace Index: January 2006 / Survey finds wide and varied responses to Hamas' political victory
By Prof. Ephraim Yaar and Prof. Tamar Hermann, Ha'aretz, February 8, 2006

Unlike the reactions of Israeli and foreign leaders, the Hamas victory does not seem to have created for the Jewish public a sense of emergency that would warrant, for example, postponing the elections or changing one's voting intentions. Nor does the public show any uniform pattern in assessing the new situation.

Indeed, a majority believes that Hamas's victory constitutes an existential danger to Israel, and a large majority also believes that, unlike the PLO, there is no chance that Hamas will eventually recognize Israel. Moreover, there is a consensus across the spectrum that the chances of reaching a peace agreement with a Palestinian government headed by Hamas are very small or nil. At the same time, about half the public thinks Hamas will now moderate its involvement in terror attacks, and close to half say it is now the Palestinian people's legitimate representative in every way and that negotiations should be conducted even with a Palestinian government that it forms, despite the meager chances of such negotiations leading to peace.

However, apparently to avoid the risks and ensure that Israel is in no way dependent on a Hamas government, there is broad support for the view that in light of Hamas's victory, Israel should determine its fate and its borders on its own by rapidly completing the separation fence. more..

 
 
Hamas supporters, carrying their party's flags, attend a campaign rally organized by the Hamas movement for the upcoming Palestinian legislative elections in Gaza January 20, 2006. (MAANnews/Wesam Saleh/Electronic Intifada)
  Hamas supporters, carrying their party's flags, attend a campaign rally organized by the Hamas movement for the upcoming Palestinian legislative elections in Gaza January 20, 2006. (MAANnews/Wesam Saleh/Electronic Intifada)  

Gallup Palestinian Survey Reveals Broad Discontentment With Status Quo
Palestine Media Center/Gallup News Service, January 28, 2006

PRINCETON, NJ -- The seeds for Hamas' landslide victory in Wednesday's Palestinian elections can be seen in polling Gallup conducted in the Palestinian territories just a few weeks earlier. Though everyone from Palestinian leaders to President Bush to the Israeli Knesset has been surprised by the election results, Gallup found widespread Palestinian discontentment with official corruption, the lack of job creation, and general incompetence that can easily explain the ouster of Fatah.

At the same time, Gallup finds continued Palestinian support for the peace process with Israel and a preference for negotiation rather than terrorism, raising questions about just what kind of mandate Hamas will have for its more militant approach.

The Gallup Organization sponsored a nationally representative survey of 1,000 Palestinians aged 15 and older living in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem as part of its Gallup World Poll. In-person interviews were conducted from Dec. 26, 2005, through Jan. 8, 2006.

Palestinians were asked more than 200 questions concerning their personal lifestyles and well-being, their religious commitment and values, their assessments of political leaders and foreign countries, and their views on achieving self-determination and peace with Israel.

The election of Hamas does not appear to be linked to a rejection of the peace process by the Palestinians, or to be a mandate for attacks against Israel. more..  

 
More about Polls and Public Opinion Surveys from our Archives..
 
Still from ‘West Bank Story’ (Middle East Online)
Survey: 52% of Israeli teens say Israel faces existential threat
Shlomo Shamir, Ha’aretz 4/30/2008
An Anti-Defamation League survey revealed on Wednesday that 52 percent of Israeli youth believe the country faces existential threat, while 30 percent of those questioned have defined this menace as "serious." Meanwhile, 59 percent of Israeli youth are convinced a second Holocaust will not occur. The survey, which encompassed 500 teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17, was unveiled in New York for the Holocaust Remembrance Day. Only nine percent thought a second Holocaust is possible, as opposed to six percent last year. The survey also revealed that 91 percent of Israeli youth are aware of the existence of anti-Semitism worldwide, and 69 percent believe Israel should respond to any manifestation of anti-Semitism in the world. 80 percent said they never encountered anti-Semitism. more.. e-mail
Most Israelis prefer Golan to peace - poll
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 4/26/2008
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: More than two-thirds of Israelis oppose a complete withdrawal from the Occupied Golan Heights captured from Syria in June 1967 in exchange for peace, a poll published on Friday said. A total of 68 percent of Israelis rejected the idea of a complete withdrawal with 51 percent opposing a partial withdrawal, said the survey carried out by the independent Dahaf institute and published in the daily Yediot Ahronot. The poll was carried out after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that Turkey has relayed a message to Damascus from Israel expressing a readiness to swap the Golan Heights for peace. - AFP Tags: Israel, Peace, Syria Printable Version Send to a friend more.. e-mail
Survey: Nasrallah is the most admired leader in the Arab world
Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 4/17/2008
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Nassan Nasrallah is the most admired leader in the Arab world, according to a poll released recently by the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland. Nasrallah seems to be gaining in popularity, with some 26 percent of respondents voicing support for him. Syrian President Bashar Assad also won an increase in popularity, according to the poll. The survey also found that the majority of Arab public - in contrast to their governments - does not view Iran as a major threat. Respondents said they believe Iran should be free to pursue its nuclear program and are opposed to international pressure to halt development. Some 44 percent of respondents said the outcome of a nuclear Iran would be beneficial for the region. more.. e-mail
US sinks even lower in Arab world’s esteem - poll
Jim Lobe, Daily Star 4/16/2008
Inter Press Service - WASHINGTON: Despite renewed US efforts to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement this year, popular views of the United States in the Arab world have actually worsened since 2006, according to a major new survey of public opinion in six Arab states. Nearly two-thirds, or 64 percent, of more than 4,000 respondents in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said they held a "very unfavorable" attitude toward the US, up from 57 percent in late 2006, while 19 percent more said their views were "somewhat unfavorable" - roughly comparable to the results of 17 months ago. At the same time, support for Iran and its nuclear program appears to have risen over the same period, according to the new survey, the sixth in a series designed by University of Maryland professor Shibley Telhami and carried out by Zogby International since 2002. more.. e-mail
Great majority of Israelis against any sharing of Jerusalem - survey
Agence France Presse - AFP, Daily Star 4/15/2008
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: More than two-thirds of Israelis are opposed to any peace deal that would give the Palestinians sovereignty over Occupied East Jerusalem and the holy sites of its Old City, a poll has found. Seventy-one percent said they opposed handing over to Palestinians the Old City and its Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which Jews also revere as the Temple Mount, the poll conducted for the Begin-Sadat Center of Strategic Studies found. Twenty one percent said they were in favor of dividing Jerusalem to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians, while the rest expressed no opinion. In addition, 67 percent said they opposed handing over even Palestinian residential neighborhoods of Occupied East Jerusalem, which Israel captured with the rest of the West Bank in the 1967 war. The status of Jerusalem has been one of the major stumbling blocks in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process,. . . more.. e-mail
61% of Gaza Strip residents support ceasefire with Israel, poll reveals
Ma’an News Agency 3/24/2008
Gaza – Ma’an – There is increasing support amongst Gaza residents for a ceasefire between Palestinian military groups and the Israeli forces, a poll published on Monday has shown. The poll of 563 adults living in randomly selected locations in the Gaza Strip was conducted by the Community College of Applied Science and Technology in Gaza. It also showed most of the respondents believe that the Egyptians will fail to convince the Israelis to abide by a ceasefire. 61% of the respondents support a ceasefire between the Palestinian military groups and Israeli forces while 39% oppose a ceasefire. 61% of the respondents also believe that the beneficiaries of a ceasefire agreement will be the Palestinian people, while 39% believe a ceasefire will benefit the Israelis. Regarding commitment to a ceasefire, 66% of the respondents believe that Palestinian factions will comply with. more.. e-mail
Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No 33
Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies, MIFTAH 3/24/2008
Background After Israel banned sending fuel and victuals to the Gaza Strip except in limited amounts, it launched a military attack on the Strip. Several countries and organizations condemned the attack and the Palestinian Authority (PA) suspended peace talks with Israel. Since the cessation of the Israeli military attack on the Gaza Strip, conditions relating to the siege are still the same and one of the residents of East Jerusalem made an attack inside West Jerusalem. The internal Palestinian crisis still persists; both of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas continue to adhere to their positions towards solutions to end the crises. Yemen has made an initiative to end the crises and representatives of both Fateh and Hamas headed to Yemen to negotiate on the principles of the Yamani initiative. The Results Following are the results of the Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No. more.. e-mail
Poll shows unprecidented equation between president Abbas’ and Haniyeh’s popularity
Ma’an News Agency 3/17/2008
Bethlehem – Ma’an – A poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, revealed on Monday that if the Palestinian people were to choose between Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and deposed Prime Minister Isma’il Haniyeh, that Haniyeh would take the lead. The poll showed that Haniyeh received 47% of the votes, whereas Abbas received 46%. The poll was conducted from 13-15 March 2008, during the interim ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that followed the deadly Israeli invasion on northern Gaza, leaving 130 Palestinians dead. A poll conducted in December 2007 showed that Abbas would get 56% in contrast to 37% for Haniyeh. The gap between the two lessened after the Gaza Strip’s borders with Egypt were destroyed in January 2008 when Haniyeh’s popularity rose to 43% and Abbas’ became 51%. more.. e-mail this link
Survey: Haniyeh more popular than Abbas in PA
Reuters, Ha’aretz 3/17/2008
Israel Defense Forces attacks in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip have boosted the popularity of the Islamist group’s leader Ismail Haniyeh among Palestinians in that territory and in the West Bank, according to a poll released Monday. The survey by the West Bank-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research showed that if new presidential elections were held, Haniyeh would receive 47 percent of the vote compared with 46 percent for President Mahmoud Abbas of the rival Fatah faction. The figures represented a sharp strengthening of Haniyeh’s popularity. He served as prime minister in the Hamas-led government Abbas dismissed after Hamas seized the Gaza Strip from Fatah in June. But the survey also found that Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, imprisoned in Israel and seen as a possible Abbas successor, would defeat Haniyeh by a clear margin. more.. e-mail this link
Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No. (27)
Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research - PSR, MIFTAH 3/17/2008
With Increased Dissatisfaction with the Performance of Mahmud Abbas and with the Government of Ismail Haniyeh Seen as Having Greater Legitimacy and Better Performance than the Government of Salam Fayyad, Hamas’s and Haniyeh’s Popularity Increaseand Fateh’s and Abbas’s Decrease 13-15 March 2008 These are the results of the latest poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip between 13 and 15 March 2008. This period witnessed a limited lull that prevailed between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the Israeli incursion into Gaza in early March that left more than 130 Palestinians dead and after the bombing attack in West Jerusalem that led to the death of 8 Israeli religious students. Total size of the sample is 1270 adults interviewed face to face in 127 randomly selected locations. Margin of error is 3%. For further details, contact PSR director, Dr. more.. e-mail this link
Specialized Opinion Poll on the Status of Palestinian Women and Gender Relations
Arab World for Research and Development, MIFTAH 2/21/2008
The Arab World for Research and Development, (AWRAD) has conducted a specialized opinion poll dated 2-5 February 2008 on the status of Palestinian women and gender relations. A representative sample, of 2400 Palestinians representing all districts in the West Bank and Gaza was interviewed. This poll is part of a study that AWRAD has launched to address gender-based relations and the status of Palestinian women and men. The results of this poll will be incorporated in the study that seeks to understand the internal and external factors that affect women’s participation in social, economic and political life. It also seeks to assess the status of women’s rights and the relationship structures among women and men. More importantly, the study will provide women’s and human rights organizations with an opportunity to reassess their approaches and tools in serving Palestinian women and society. more..
Two-thirds of Israelis still believe summer war of 2006 was justified - survey
Compiled by, Daily Star 2/14/2008
Most Israeli Jews believe that the summer 2006 war was justified, even after the Winograd Committee published its final report last month, according to a survey conducted by the Peace Index Project published by the Israeli media on Wednesday. The Peace Index Project is conducted at the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research and the Evens Program in Mediation and Conflict Resolution of Tel Aviv University, headed by professors Ephraim Yaar and Tamar Hermann. The telephone interviews were conducted by the B. I. Cohen Institute of Tel Aviv University from February 4 to 6, 2008, and included 595 interviewees who represent the adult Jewish and Arab population of Israel (including the territories and the kibbutzim). The sampling error for a sample of this size is 4. 5 percent. Results have shown that a more dramatic change occurred, however, in assessing the committee’s toughness toward the military and political echelons. more..
Results of an Opinion Poll on Negotiations and Final Settlement Issues, Palestinian Elections
Arab World for Research and Development, MIFTAH 1/24/2008
Introduction More than anything, this poll measures the impact of the latest attacks on Gaza on Palestinians’ views. Field work began the day after the Al Zaytoun attack in Gaza City that led to the killing of 15 Palestinians. The field work took place between 16 -18th ofJanuary, as the attacks on Gaza continued. During the period of 15-18th January, 35 Palestinians were killed and 125 injured. In fact, on two occasions the lives of our fieldresearchers were threatened, as missiles were fired in close proximity to their workstations. These attacks came immediately after United States President Bush, visited theregion and met with Palestinian and Israeli officials. The situation on the ground led to major shifts in public opinion, confirming the hypothesis that military approaches and violence reinforce hard-line positions, andnegatively influence the lot of all parties involved, especially the credibility of the president of the PNA and his government. more..
Hamas, PA Census Bureau Locked in Dispute Over Gaza Survey
Amira Hass, MIFTAH 12/23/2007
The United Nations and Palestinian parliament members are mediating between Hamas and the Palestinian Central Statistics Bureau (CBS) over a census taken in the Gaza Strip. The Hamas authorities shut the CBS offices last month and declared the census suspended, after CBS refused to hand over its data to a committee Hamas set up to supervise the census. CBS, which began the census in August, has conducted a survey of industries and structures in the West Bank and Gaza; it had planned to complete the Gaza Strip census by December 16. CBS officials had been thoroughly trained for the task and went door-to-door to fill in the census forms. The Palestinian Authority’s first census was held in 1997. CBS head Dr. Louay Shabaneh told Haaretz he did not believe Hamas wanted to hide any of the data. He believes Hamas wanted to make it clear that it controlled the Gaza Strip and should therefore be privy to the data. more..
Hamas, PA census bureau locked in dispute over Gaza survey
Amira Hass, Ha’aretz 12/20/2007
The United Nations and Palestinian parliament members are mediating between Hamas and the Palestinian Central Statistics Bureau (CBS) over a census taken in the Gaza Strip. The Hamas authorities shut the CBS offices last month and declared the census suspended, after CBS refused to hand over its data to a committee Hamas set up to supervise the census. CBS, which began the census in August, has conducted a survey of industries and structures in the West Bank and Gaza; it had planned to complete the Gaza Strip census by December 16. CBS officials had been thoroughly trained for the task and went door-to-door to fill in the census forms. The Palestinian Authority’s first census was held in 1997. CBS head Dr. Louay Shabaneh told Haaretz he did not believe Hamas wanted to hide any of the data. He believes Hamas wanted to make it clear that it controlled the Gaza Strip and should therefore be privy to the data. more..
A Public Opinion Poll Conducted by Jerusalem Media & Communications Center - Poll No. 63
JMCC, MIFTAH 11/12/2007
more..
Survey shows global opposition to Iran - and US
Reuters, YNetNews 10/24/2007
Islamic republic is country most people around world would like see having less power, followed closely by US, new opinion poll shows; 35% want EU to have more influence in future, while 20% want opposite - - Iran is the country most people around the world would like see having less power, followed closely by the United States, a new opinion poll showed on Wednesday. The survey, which polled 57,000 people from 52 countries, showed 39 percent of respondents wanted to see the influence of Iran diminished, compared with 37 percent for the United States. Only 14 percent of people taking part in the poll wanted Iran to have more power while 26 percent thought more US influence would make the world a better place. The poll, commissioned by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), a new think tank on EU affairs, found more people wanted Russia and China to have less power than hoped they would gain influence. more..
Haaretz survey: 51% of Israelis back Olmert’s talks with Abbas
Yossi Verter, Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 10/11/2007
More than half of Israelis support talks between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, a Haaretz survey revealed on Thursday. Some 51 perent of those questioned said they supported the talks, while 42percent said they were opposed. These figures are part of the results of the periodic Haaretz-Dialog survey, conducted by Professor Kamil Fuchs of the statistics department at Tel Aviv University. The survey was conducted among a representative sample of 502 people from the general public. As expected, support for the talks came from Kadima, Labor, Meretz and Arab-party voters. Surprisingly though, 40 percent of Yisrael Beitenu voters and 28 percent of Likud voters also favor the talks. A majority of right-wing voters were against. The poll also found that almost one third of the population thought the investigations against Olmert in the more..
Haaretz survey: One third support freezing investigations against prime minister
Yossi Verter, Ha’aretz 10/11/2007
During the week that Prime Minster Ehud Olmert was questioned over the Bank Leumi tender affair, a poll found almost one third of the population thought the investigations against Olmert should be frozen so that he could concentrate on governing the country. A huge majority of those polled said the large number of investigations seriously undermines the prime minister’s ability to manage the country. As to diplomatic negotiations with the Palestinians, it seems that Olmert has widespread support, with half of the populace in favor of the talks he is conducting with the Palestinians. 51 percent of those surveyed said they supported the talks between Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, with 42 percent opposed. As expected, support for the talks came from Kadima, Labor, Meretz and Arab-party voters. more..
Poll # 162: The most Recent Poll Prepared by Dr. Nabil Kukali
PCPO, MIFTAH 9/25/2007
The most recent poll prepared by Dr. Nabil Kukali revealed that: (57. 7 %) Would vote for Fateh candidate to the PA presidency, (28. 7 %) for Hamas candidate. (72. 1 %) Are worried about their personal security. (73. 8 %) Of the Palestinian people are worried about the subsistence of their families. (44. 0 %) Hold Hamas responsible for the fights of Gaza Strip. (70. 6 %) Oppose at various degrees the entry of foreign and/or Arab troops into Gaza Strip. (57. 1 %) Oppose at various degrees the participation of the Palestinian leadership in the International Peace Conference called for by the US- President George Bush. Beit Sahour – The Information office In the most recent poll prepared by Dr. Nabil Kukali, being conducted during the period August 26th to September... more..
Berri warns of Lebanon poll delay
Middle East Online 9/22/2007
BEIRUT - Lebanon’s parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said in remarks quoted on Saturday that next week’s controversial presidential election would be postponed if MPs did not turn up in sufficient numbers. Berri, a member of the opposition, told the most senior MP, Ghassan Tueni, that he personally would attend Tuesday’s session in parliament, but added: "If a quorum is not reached, we will postpone it" (the vote). Berri, who was quoted in An-Nahar newspaper, has been pushing for the two sides to find a consensus candidate to replace the outgoing President Emile Lahoud whose term expires on November 24. Both domestically and internationally, supporters of the majority have demanded that MPs proceed to elect a new president, with pressure to do so boosted following the latest killing of an MP opposed to Damascus. more..
Israelis Skeptical about Peace Breakthrough, Reveals Poll
Agence France Presse, MIFTAH 9/18/2007
A majority of Israelis are skeptical about whether the current Israeli and Palestinian leaders can agree a peace accord, said a survey released Monday ahead of an international conference. The study, carried out by the Steinmetz Center for Peace Research at Tel Aviv University, found that 58. 5 percent of Israelis said the likelihood of the two sides reaching an agreement was "weak." Of the remainder, 31 percent said they believed there was a "moderate" chance of success, 5 percent considered it "high," and the rest expressed no opinion. The findings came on the eve of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s latest visit to the region, amid intense preparations for a US-sponsored international Middle East conference to be held later this year. more..
Absorption Ministry survey finds immigrants suffer severe economic disadvantages
Anshel Pfeffer, Ha’aretz 9/18/2007
A survey carried out by the Absorption Ministry shows that the income of new immigrants is substantially lower than that of veteran Israelis. The survey, prepared for the Immigration and Absorption conference scheduled to take place in Ashdod next month, showed that 41 percent of new immigrants earn no more than NIS 5,000 per month. The survey includes immigrants who have been in Israel for as long as 17 years. Only 13 percent of veteran Israelis have such low wages. According to the survey, 20 percent of new immigrant families earn more than NIS 10,000 per month, compared to 45 percent of the veterans. Other economic indicators surveyed in the study have shown gaps that do not favor the new immigrants. As such, when it comes to housing, in spite of government grants, only 62 percent of new immigrants live... more..
Sarkozy: Presidential poll Lebanon’s only recourse
Daily Star 8/28/2007
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Monday that the only efficient solution to Lebanon’s nine-month-old political impasse was the election of a new president. "The presidential poll ought to proceed within deadlines set by the Constitution, while keeping in mind that Lebanon’s next president should act as a representative of all the Lebanese," Sarkozy told an array of ambassadors at the Elysee Palace. Sarkozy said Lebanon’s next president should be capable of dealing with everybody, "with all of Lebanon’s groups as well as with all of Lebanon’s external allies." Sarkozy urged all of the international and regional forces, including Syria, to gather efforts to help Lebanon overcome the continuing standoff. Breaking with the policy of his predecessor Jacques Chirac, Sarkozy said he was prepared to hold high-level... more..
Likudniks work to give Mofaz edge over PM in Kadima poll
Mazal Mualem, Ha’aretz 8/22/2007
Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz’s allies in his former party Likud are recruiting people to join rival party Kadima to help Mofaz win that party’s upcoming primary elections, Likud activists recently told Haaretz. According to the sources, the Likud activists want to see Mofaz replace Kadima’s leader, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The activists said Mofaz’s supporters from Likud aimed to recruit several thousand people to join Kadima. The sources said that among those working to this end were prominent Likud members including several party-center activists. The new registered voters were not Likud members, the sources said. They said the Likudniks coordinating the effort did not regard their actions as problematic, even though they were adding new voters to the ranks of a rival party. more..
Public opinion poll gives Abbas slight popularity over Haniyeh
Ma’an News Agency 8/22/2007
Jerusalem - Ma’an - The results of a public opinion poll conducted by the Jerusalem Media & Communications Center have been revealed: * If elections were to happen today, 20. 6% would vote for President Abbas while 18. 8% would vote for Ismaeel Hanieh * As part of the final status solution, 93. 5% oppose giving Israel any jurisdiction over the area of al-Aqsa Mosque and 81. 9% oppose allowing Israel to keep the major settlement blocs in the West Bank, while 67. 2% oppose declaring parts of East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state * 68. 5% support the return of all refugees to their original homeland * Dialogue between the Palestinian factions is the most preferred solution to end the current internal crisis In the first public opinion poll conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communications... more..
Opposition claims victory in Lebanon poll
Jocelyne Zablit – BEIRUT, Middle East Online 8/6/2007
Big blow to Lebanon’s Western-backed ruling majority - Aoun’s party emerges winner in by-elections with narrow margin of 418 votes over Gemayel’s party. - Lebanon’s Western-backed ruling majority was dealt a blow on Monday in by-elections that deeply split the country’s Christian camp and boosted the Syrian-backed opposition ahead of a presidential poll. Official results showed the candidate representing opposition leader Michel Aoun winning by a slim margin of 418 votes over former president Amin Gemayel, who was backed by the ruling Western-backed coalition. The outcome of the vote was important as it was expected to show which way the country’s divided Christian community was leaning ahead of a presidential election scheduled for next month. more..
A new poll reveals that Palestinians have lost faith in politics
Ma’an News Agency 7/18/2007
Bethlehem - Ma’an - A new poll says Palestinians are losing faith in their political leaders and want reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah. The majority of Palestinians polled believe that neither Salam Fayyad’s government in the West Bank, nor Ismail Haniyeh’s government in the Gaza Strip is legitimate. According to a new poll by Fafo, Palestinians see national reconciliation as more important than peace talks with Israel. Eighty-five per cent of those polled would like to see negotiations between Fatah and Hamas. Although a higher proportion of Hamas voters (91%) are in favor of such talks, reconciliation between the two parties also attracts strong support among Fatah followers (73%), a press release from Fafo says. Fifty-eight per cent say they want peace negotiations with Israel, which is a decline by 20 percentage points from December 2006. more..
Haaretz-Dialog poll/ Labor’s Barak breathing down Netanyahu’s neck
Yossi Verter, Ha’aretz 7/5/2007
Defense Minister and Labor Party Chairman Ehud Barak is becoming increasingly popular as a prime ministerial candidate, according to a new Haaretz-Dialog poll. Past polls gave Barak only single-digit support. But in the latest poll, 34 percent preferred Barak as premier, compared to 42 percent for Likud Chairman MK Benjamin Netanyahu. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert trailed behind, with 9 percent support. The poll gave Labor 25 seats if elections were held today - six more than it has at present. Likud, headed by Netanyahu, would be the largest party, with 31 seats, up from its present 12. Kadima placed third on the list, with 11 seats, 18 fewer than at present. It is therefore clear that the contest in the next elections, which could take place as early as the middle of next year, is between Barak and Netanyahu, Labor and Likud. more..
Court of Appeals to poll views on bid to replace judge in Hariri case
Daily Star staff, Daily Star 7/3/2007
BEIRUT: The Court of Appeals is expected to circulate a submitted request to replace the chief of Lebanese investigations into the February 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to all parties involved with the case, so that the court can arrive at a final decision on the issue of replacement more promptly, a judicial report said on Monday. Magistrate Elias Eid was expected to issue a final response to the request on Monday - either by rejecting it or by stepping down - but the final decision on the matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals. Mohammad Mattar, the lawyer for the heirs of four Hariri bodyguards killed in the bombing, filed a request last Wednesday that Eid be replaced, citing Eid’s alleged "intention" to release former security officials Raymond Azar and Jamil Sayyed before the conclusion of the investigation. more..
Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No 28
Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies, MIFTAH 6/23/2007
73. 4% of respondents supported the presidential decree that President Mahmoud Abbas issued by which a state of emergency was announced in all Palestinian territories. 73. 1% of respondents supported the presidential decree that President Mahmoud Abbas issued by which an emergency government was formed. 49. 7% of respondents considered the acts of Hamas and the Executive Force in the Gaza Strip illegitimate; 26. 8% considered it a coup against the Palestinian Authority; 15. 9% considered it legal and justified. 57. 2% of respondents believed that the security conditions in the Gaza Strip will worsen after the domination of Hamas. 34. 2% of respondents believed that the security conditions in the Gaza Strip were better before Hamas imposed its power on the Strip. more..
Report Summary of Oxfam Survey of Personal Debt in West Bank and Gaza
Palestinian Centre for Public Opinion, MIFTAH 6/14/2007
A random cross section of 2,500 household heads (1,500 in West Bank and 1,000 in Gaza) were asked about personal debt, sale of assets and financial responsibilities now and a year ago. Their replies tell that: In the past year debt has increased for 53% of household heads in West Bank and 68% in Gaza. The average household debt is between $1,250 and $2,500. Over a half (53. 7%) of households owe more than $1,250 and one third (32. 9%) owe more than $2,500. This suggests that the cumulative debt of households in West Bank is more than $600 million and is $270 million in Gaza. In Gaza one in every 15 (7. 6%) household heads owes more than $ 25,000. This suggests that the cumulative debt owed by this small portion of the population is in excess of $426 million. more..
92 percent of Palestinians depressed, poll says
Ynet, YNetNews 6/11/2007
Number of Palestinians suffering from anxiety, caused by despair over violence between Hamas and Fatah gunmen, is more than double the level from November 2005, survey published by Washington Times reveals Ninety-two percent of Palestinians suffer from depression-related anxiety, caused by despair over violence between Hamas and Fatah gunmen and the apparent demise of the Palestinian unity government, according to a poll published by the Washington Times on Monday morning. Jamil Rabah, the director of Ramallah-based Near East Consulting, polled 801 Palestinians from the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem for the latest survey, which has a margin of error of 3. 4 percent. more..
"Peres â€" presidential candidate closest to Judaism, poll says
Kobi Nahshoni, YNetNews 6/11/2007
With presidential elections nearing, 55 percent of public see Peres as closest to Jewish faith, says Ynet-Gesher poll. Labor leadership’s Ami Ayalon seen closest to Judaism by 83 percent After weeks of courting voters, illustrating years of working for the Jewish cause and the successful prevention of former Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Israel Meir Lau’s presidential candidacy, the moment of truth has arrived. Which presidential candidate is the most Judaism friendly? Ynet and Gesher, an educational organization dedicated to bridging the gap between different segments in Israeli society, conducted "“ through the Mutagim institute "“ a poll spanning a representative sample of Israeli, Hebrew speaking society. more..
Haaretz poll finds Laborites skeptical of Ayalon-Peretz pact
Yossi Verter, Ha’aretz 6/8/2007
Most Labor Party members disapprove of the alliance forged by Ami Ayalon and Amir Peretz ahead of the second round of the party’s leadership primary, scheduled to take place next Tuesday. According to a Haaretz-Dialog poll conducted on Wednesday among a representative sample of registered Labor members, 50 percent defined the Ayalon-Peretz alliance as a "deal of political opportunism." Only 32 percent chose "legitimate cooperation. The poll was supervised by Professor Camil Fuchs of Tel Aviv University’s statistics department. Even a third of those who voted, or plan to vote, for Ayalon back the harsher definition. Maybe that is why he has failed to gain a significant edge over Barak. As reported yesterday in Haaretz, if the primary were held today, Ayalon would get 47 percent of the votes and Barak 43 percent - effectively a draw. more..
Survey: Israeli public confident in IDF
Y. Ben Meir, D. Shaked, YNetNews 6/7/2007
New survey by Institute for National Security Studies shows that although half of all Israelis think that Israel’s deterrent capability was harmed in the Second Lebanon War, 80 percent still feel that they can depend on the IDF to defend the country Most Israelis view the results of the Second Lebanon War as inconclusive, with half believing that neither party won and the other half almost evenly divided between those who think Israel won and those who believe that Hizbullah won. Half of the population report that their confidence in the IDF has decreased and also see a decrease in Israel’s deterrent capability. Nevertheless, over 80 percent of the Jewish population feel they can depend on the IDF to defend the country. While faith in the political leadership is quite low, over two-thirds support the decision... more..
Poll gives Ayalon slight lead over Barak
Ynet, YNetNews 6/6/2007
The race for Labor chairmanship is close, with small advantage to Ayalon, who gets 49 percent Ami Ayalon appears to be leading the Labor party chairmanship race by a few percentage points. According to a poll conducted among Labor members, Ayalon has 49 percent support; Ehud Barak has 44 percent, and an additional seven percent have not yet decided. The runoff is scheduled to take place next Tuesday. The survey revealed that over 70 percent of those who voted for Peretz, Ophir Pines and Danny Yatom in the first round plan to vote for Ayalon in the second round. If this materializes, Ayalon will beat Ehud Barak in the second round. However, nothing is certain, especially if the 4. 5 percent margin of error is taken into account. The poll shows that Peretz supporters from urban environments and... more..
Poll on Qassams: 42% of Israeli Jews back reoccupying Gaza
Prof. Ephraim Yaar and Prof. Tamar Hermann, Ha’aretz 6/5/2007
The Jewish public is divided over Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s statement that there is no immediate and total way to stop the Qassam fire on Sderot, with a large minority - 42 percent - favoring reoccupying Gaza and staying there to make sure the fire is not resumed, the Peace Index poll has shown. The survey, carried out from May 28-30, showed that 48 percent oppose such a move. Sixty-three percent (vs. 28 percent), however, support a limited ground operation after which IDF forces would withdraw. The public is almost evenly divided between 47 percent who support holding direct negotiations with Hamas on stopping the rocket fire on Sderot, and 48 percent who oppose such negotiations. The poll determined that only 37 percent of the Jewish public is currently convinced by Olmert’s claim that there is no immediate and total way to stop the Qassam fire; 53. more..
Major Poll Finds U.S. Muslims Mostly Mainstream
Jim Lobe, Inter Press Service 5/23/2007
WASHINGTON, May 22(IPS) - Despite deep dissatisfaction with U.S. foreign policy and President George W. Bush, U.S. Muslims tend to be better assimilated and more content with the larger society in which they live than their European counterparts, according to a major new survey released here Tuesday by the Pew Research Centre. The survey, based on interviews with nearly 60,000 people, found that younger U.S. Muslims, aged 18-29, tended to identify more closely with their religion as their primary identity and to justify the use of violence, including suicide bombing, than their older co-religionists. But those attitudes were found significantly less frequently among Muslims here than among Muslims, both younger and older, in France, Spain, and Great Britain, according to the survey, which compared the U. more..
Poll reveals severe pessimism amongst Palestinians regarding their security and political situation
Ma’an News Agency 5/21/2007
Nablus - Ma’an - A poll conducted by An-Najah University in Nablus, in the north of the occupied West Bank, has revealed severe pessimism amongst the Palestinian people, both in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Of the 1,361 participants (861 from the West Bank and 500 from the Gaza Strip), 92% said they do not feel safe either for themselves or for their families and property under the present circumstances. In the poll, which was conducted 17-19 May, only 6. 9% of respondents said they believed that the Mecca Accord signed between Fatah and Hamas would hold for a long period of time. 68. 6% of respondents said they believed the national unity government would collapse. 51. 2% said they expected the unity government to fall within a year. Most of the questions of the poll, which was funded by the university,... more..
Israelis believe strong ties with US vital, poll finds
Ynet, YNetNews 5/18/2007
’Israelis view US as closest ally; US support for Israel based on perception of Israel as strategic partner,’ says ADL director Abraham Foxman -- The vast majority of Israelis believe close relations with the United States are vital to Israel’s security, according to a poll carried out by the Anti-Defamation League with the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. The poll surveyed Israeli public opinion on Israel’s relations with the United States and the Diaspora. Carried out by the Maagar Mochot polling agency, the poll questioned 505 Israeli adults in May 2000; it has a 4. 7 margin of error. Two-thirds of Israelis view United States-Israeli relations in a positive light, while eight percent have a negative view of the US; 65 percent of Israelis think of the US as a loyal ally to Israel, according to the poll. more..
Mixed reactions to Ma’an’s recent survey on confronting the ongoing siege
Ma’an News Agency 5/18/2007
Bethlehem - Ma’an - By a slim majority, most readers of Ma’an News Agency’s Arabic-language page believe that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas should call early elections if the crippling siege of the Palestinian government continues. However, on the English-language page, in almost equal numbers readers believe President Abbas should resign and the people should stand steadfast. In the most recent weekly poll held on Ma’an independent news agency’s website, readers were asked to vote on what should be the reaction if the siege continues. 38. 69% of the weekly sample of 18,212 Arabic-language readers believed that President Abbas should call early elections while 35. 72% believed that he should resign. 12. 24% believed that the Palestinian people should stand steadfast and patient if the siege continues while 10. more..
March 14 leaders: Presidential poll must restore Christian clout
Daily Star 5/19/2007
Qabalan says only friend of Arabs, enemy of israel can fill top post By Maroun Khoury BKIRKI: Progressive Socialist Party MP Wael Bou Faour said Friday the next Lebanese president should abide by the Taif Accord, Resolution 1701 and a seven-point plan agreed upon by the Cabinet during last summer’s war with Israel. Bou Faour, a ranking member of the March 14 Forces, made his comments after speaking with Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir in Bkirki and one day after Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt met with Future Movement leader Saad Hariri in Qoreitem. The two leaders met late Thursday for talks on the latest developments in Lebanon. "Premier Fouad Siniora will remain in office to accomplish his national duties until the presidential elections are held [in November]," Bou Faour said, rejecting proposals to establish a caretaker government. more..
Most Israelis don’t celebrate Jerusalem Day, poll finds
Kobi Nahshoni, YNetNews 5/15/2007
Sixty-five percent of Israelis do not mark capital"s reunification 40 years ago, but almost half believe it"s perfect Some 65 percent of Israeli Jews do not celebrate Jerusalem Day, which marks the city"s reunification 40 years ago, while 35 percent celebrate the event, a poll conducted by Ynet and the Gesher organization revealed. The poll was carried out among 500 respondents who constitute a representative sample of the adult Jewish Hebrew-speaking population in Israel. According to the poll, most religious Zionists (67 percent) celebrate Jerusalem Day, compared to only 23 percent of non-religious Israelis, 24 percent of haredim and 63 percent of observant Jews. "˜Holy city" or "˜Israel"s capital"? The frequency of visits to Jerusalem has been a cause for concern for many education ministers in recent years. more..
Survey: Majority of immigrants consider themselves Israeli last
Ruth Sinai, Ha’aretz 5/8/2007
Most immigrants define themselves first as Jewish and then according to their country of origin. A minority - 15 percent of Western immigrants, 16 percent of Ethiopian immigrants and 23 percent of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, consider themselves Israelis first. In total, 80 percent of immigrants don’t define their nationality as Israeli first. The Ruppin Institute examined different immigrant groups’ social, economic and employment integration in Israel. The index, which will be presented today to the Knesset’s Immigration and Absorption Committee today, is based on a survey by the Central Bureau of Statistics and a broad survey of 2,500 immigrants who were interviewed for the survey in their mother tongues. The survey revealed that 64 percent of immigrants from the U. more..
Majority of participants in Arabic poll believe Bishara should return, majority in English believe not
Ma’an News Agency 5/4/2007
Bethlehem - Ma’an - By a slim majority, more participants in the most recent weekly poll held on Ma’an News Agency’s Arabic-language website believe that the Israeli member of Knesset Azmi Bishara should come back to the homeland, rather than remain overseas. This is in spite of the Israeli prosecution’s charges of treason and money-laundering against him. Of the 7,188 participants, representing a weekly sample of readers on the Arabic page, 48. 04% thought that the Palestinian-Israeli, Azmi Bishara, should return to the homeland immediately. On the other hand, 41. 82% thought that remaining outside the homeland benefits the cause more. 10. 14% of the participants were not sure. However, in an English-language poll held on Ma’an’s English-page asking the same question, 59. more..
40% unemployment in parts of Gaza, PCBS reveals in survey marking International Workers’ Day
Ma’an News Agency 4/30/2007
Bethlehem - Ma’an - On the occasion of International Workers’ Day, May 1, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) has released a survey describing Palestinian working conditions and data. 4 out of 10 Palestinians counted in the labour forcePCBS reports that 4 out of 10 Palestinians over the age of 15 participate in the labour force. The survey says that, "Participation in the labour force is considered the main indicator for the efficiency and activity of the labour market in providing job opportunities." PCBS’s data showed a decrease in the general participation rate in the labour force from 41. 5% in 2000 to 41. 3% in 2006. In the West Bank, the participation rate was 44. 1% in 2006 while it was only 36. 1% in the Gaza Strip. more..
New poll shows 68.4% of Israeli Jews fear Israeli Arab uprising
Ha’aretz 3/12/2007
68. 4 percent of Israeli Jews fear a civil uprising on behalf of Israeli Arabs and 63. 3 percent say they won’t enter Arab towns in Israel, according to the results of the 2006 index of Jewish-Arab relations released on Monday. The poll also showed that 62 percent of the Arab population in Israel fears that the "triangle" area will be ceded to a future Palestinian state and 60 percent say they fear a mass expulsion from Israel. The survey, which was administered by the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Haifa, Professor Sami Smooha, polled 1,423 Jewish and Arab Israelis on a wide range of issues dealing with the rift between Jews and Arabs in Israel. According to the poll, 80 percent of Jews said that in future agreements dealing with the borders and demographics of Israel, the state must retain a Jewish majority. more..
58 percent of public don’t believe Olmert, poll says
YNetNews 3/7/2007
Most Israelis believe state comptroller’s version in clash with prime minister over interim report on handling of Home Front during Lebanon war, Ynet survey reveals -- Most Israelis believe State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss rather than Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in their clash over the interim report on handling of Home Front during the war in Lebanon , a poll conducted for Ynet by the Smith Institute revealed. Lindenstrauss alleged at the beginning of the week that although he had sent his questions regarding to the report to the prime minister about two months ago, Olmert had yet to send his replies to all 12 questions. ... Only 9 percent believe that Olmert’s version is more reliable than Lindenstrauss’. more..
Poll sees hope in West-Islam ties
BBC Online 2/19/2007
[Ed. note: What the results of this poll show most strikingly is a sharp disagreement between east and west in response to the poll questions, along a geographic line that begins in Germany and extends through the Pacific Rim. The only exceptions appear to be Lebanon and, to some extent, South Korea. However, the report prepared by GlobeScan for the BBC uses gross averaging to paint a consistently rosy picture. ] Most people believe common ground exists between the West and the Islamic world despite current global tensions, a BBC World Service poll suggests. In a survey of people in 27 countries, an average of 56% said they saw positive links between the cultures. Yet 28% of respondents told questioners that violent conflict was inevitable. -- See also: Read the findings of the poll [PDF] more..
Survey: 78% of public dissatisfied with Israel’s political leadership
Ha’aretz 2/8/2007
More than three-quarters of the public are not satisfied with Israel’s political leadership, according to a recent survey. The poll, conducted for the committee on changing the system of government (initiated by the state president), found that of the 78 percent who said they were unhappy with their leaders, the reasons cited included corruption (32 percent) inexperience (12 percent) self-centeredness of the leadership (10 percent) weakness (9 percent) and caring only for the rich (5 percent). The findings of the poll, conducted by the Maagar Mohot ("Brain Trust") Interdisciplinary Research and Consulting Institute, were presented during a seminar at the Knesset on Wedensday. Half of those polled said they thought the present electoral system should be changed; 39 percent favored a presidential regime and 34 percent opposed it. more..
Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No 25
MIFTAH/Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies 1/27/2007
Following are the results of the 25th Palestinian Public Opinion Poll conducted by the Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah National University during the period from January 22-24, 2006. The University sponsors all polls conducted by its Center. This poll undertakes Palestinian public opinions in the upcoming and current political circumstances, particularly the formation of a unity government, the priorities of the Palestinian citizens, what is expected from a unity government once it is formed, the attitudes of Palestinians towards forms and methods of resistance, and the assessment of the performance of Palestinian institutions..... 66. 4% of respondents were pessimistic towards the general Palestinian conditions at this stage. 86. 9% of respondents did not feel safe neither for themselves nor for their families and properties under the present circumstances... more..
A survey representing the economic expectations of a sample of Palestinian business-owners in 2006
Ma’an News Agency 1/9/2007
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics findings from a survey of trends of owners and managers of industries in relation to the prevailing economic situation. The following shows the basic findings based on 22 owners or managers of industrial establishments, in relation to the economic situation in 2006. The sample size is 482 industrial establishments (344 in the remaining West Bank and 138 in Gaza Strip). A two-stage sample was designed for this survey; in the first stage the industrial survey 2004 was used as a sample frame for the survey, while in the second stage, all industrial establishments that constituted approximately 70% of the total industrial production were selected, establishments that employed less than 20 employees were excluded. more..
Ma’an’s poll reveals that people expect the Palestinian situation to deteriorate
Ma’an News Agency 12/29/2006
Bethlehem - Most of the voters in the Ma’an weakly poll expect that next year the Palestinians will witness a serious deterioration in the Palestinian situation. 10321 voters have taken part in the poll. 60. 1% of them expected the year 2007 to be more difficult for the Palestinians while 19. 13% expected the year 2007 to witness more stability and security in the Palestinian arena. 15. 7% of the voters expected the continuity of the status quo in Palestine. [end]
WHO survey finds better health among Jews than Arab Israelis
Ha’aretz 12/24/2006
Fifteen percent of Israeli women are overweight, and 17 percent suffer from high blood pressure, as opposed to 14 percent of men. Eighteen percent of women have high cholesterol, as opposed to 15 percent of men. Forty-one percent of Israeli women see medical specialists, while only 31 percent of men do so. There are also large gaps between Jews and Arabs in receiving essential medical services.... The survey encompassed a representative sample of approximately 10,000 adults, both Jews and Arabs, who were interviewed by phone in 2003 and 2004.... 79 percent of Arab men surveyed said their health was good or very good, as opposed to 74 percent of Jewish men. Three-quarters of Arab women are satisfied with their health, as opposed to two-thirds of Jewish women. more..
PCBS releases results of Household Energy Survey
Ma’an News Agency 11/29/2006
Bethlehem – The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics has released the results of their Household Energy Survey, undertaken in July 2006. The survey refers to energy indicators in each household for the activities of cooking, baking, water heating and lighting. Overall, a decrease in the average household consumption of electricity and liquefied petroleum gas in 2006 has been observed, compared with previous years. For the full report, please visit the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics website at: www. pcbs. gov. ps, or click here (PDF). PCBS: Results of Household Energy Survey (July 2006) more..
Survey: Israel has world’s worst image
Globes Online 11/23/2006
Israel was ranked last in perception of its government, and as a tourist attraction. -- The Anholt-GMI Nation Brand Index for the third quarter of 2006 unflatteringy rates Israel as “the country with the world’s worst image. ” The quarterly survey examines the perceptions and positions of 25,900 consumers in 35 developed and developing countries towards 36 nation brands. A nation’s image is based on six variables: the consumers’ opinions about the country’s export products, its tourist appeal, investment potential, potential emigration target, perceptions of the values of its government, heritage and culture, and behavior of its residents. Israel is ranked at or near the bottom in almost every variable. The reason is not lack of brand recognition; Israel is one of the most well-known countries in the world. more..
Survey: 80% of public think violence against women is only physical
Ha’aretz 11/21/2006
According to a survey conducted by the Prime Minister’s Office Authority for the Advancement of the Status of Women, 60 percent of the Israeli public believe that a man who yells at, demeans, and limits the freedom of his partner is not exhibiting violence. According to the survey, 80 percent of the public believe that violence against women is carried out only physically. The survey, which includes 502 Jewish participants, was designed to determine the adult Jewish public’s views on violence that does not leave physical marks. The survey showed that 50 percent of the survey participants do not consider threats as being violent. Forty-three percent of the male participants answered that if they don’t like what their partner is wearing, it is their right to forbid her from wearing it. Thirty-six percent of the female participants concurred... more..
3 in 4 Palestinians see their economic situation as "bad", over 60% hold donor countries responsible, new poll shows
Ma’an News Agency 11/7/2006
The most recent economical survey prepared by Dr. Nabil Kukali revealed that 78. 6 percent of Palestinians are worried about their personal security. 80. 9% of Palestinians are worried about the level of subsistence of their families at present. 78. 1% evaluated their economic condition as bad. 62. 3% are pessimistic about the improvement of the economic and political conditions. 62. 1% hold the United States, Israel and other donor countries responsible for the deterioration of the economic conditions in the Palestinian territories. The poll, which was conducted by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion (PCPO) during the period from October 26th to November 1st, 2006, and took a random sample of 1,000 respondents representing the various demographic specimens of the population... more..
Survey sees increase in Israeli corruption
Globes Online 11/6/2006
Israel is ranked 34th among 163 countries, compared with 28th in the 2005 survey. -- Transparency International today published its Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2006. Israel is ranked 34th among 163 countries, with a score of 5. 8 out of a possible 10. In the 2005 survey Israel was ranked 28th, with a score of 6. 3. Finland, Iceland and New Zealand are perceived as the least corrupt countries, sharing first place with 9. 6 points. The most corrupt countries in the world, according to the list, are Iraq, Myanmar and Guinea, which scored 1. 9, and Haiti, with 1. 8 points. The CPI reflects the perceived level of corruption in each of the countries in the list. The index is composed of 12 surveys, which were conducted by nine international bodies, including the World Bank and the World Economic Forum. more..
Monitoring Project - Impact of the Current Crisis in the West Bank and Gaza Strip Survey Report #36
ReliefWeb/Water and Sanitation and Hygiene Monitoring Project 11/6/2006
31 Oct 2006 -- Introduction: This is the eleventh report prepared by the WaSH Monitoring Program during this phase. The previously distributed reports included information about 497 communities in total. The current report includes information about 38 communities that were surveyed during the past two weeks (October 2006). In this report, collected data and information, as was done in the previous reports, are presented in different tables where each table reflects at least one of the major problems affecting the WaSH situation in these communities. This report includes summary of the information for communities surveyed during the past two weeks; the total number of these communities is 38. The tables include summary of the collected data and major findings and comments on these tables are also provided. more..
Poll shows sharp drop in public’s confidence in the state
Ha’aretz 11/2/2006
About 80 percent of the public say the corruption among Israel’s political leaders prevents them from taking pride in their state. This is one of the strongest statements in a broad survey designed to measure social strength. The Social Strength Index, measured before next week’s Sderot Conference for Society, also reflects a serious deterioration in public faith in the state and its institutions, including the Israel Defense Forces. In 2003, 27 percent of the public said they do not trust public institutions to help them in a time of need. That rate nearly doubled this year to 51 percent. This fourth annual survey found that 70 percent of the public believes the state does not enable its citizens to have reasonable housing, up from 65 percent in 2005. more..
Survey finds 92 percent of employers violate labor laws
Ha''aretz 9/27/2006
In a wide-reaching survey conducted by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Employment two weeks ago as part of an effort to enforce labor laws, 92 percent of employers polled were found to be in violation of labor laws. A team of 300 specially trained Trade Ministry employees inspected 580 places of employment including construction sites, factories, stores and businesses in central and southern Israel. The survey found that 92 percent of the employers polled were in violation of employment laws. Some of the employers found to be in violation will be fined. According to Eli Paz, head of the Trade Ministry''s enforcement department, the survey was aimed at increasing employers'' awareness of employees'' rights. more..
Survey: 75% of PA civil servants cannot make ends meet
Ha''aretz 9/25/2006
RAMALLAH - Three quarters of Palestinian government workers are no longer able to make ends meet due to unpaid wages and 22 percent wish to emigrate, a poll published Sunday showed." There is a tendency toward the collapse of the employment sector," Samir Hleleh, managing director of British firm Portland Trust, which conducted the survey with the Palestinian Economists Association, told reporters." Conditions for employees are extremely bad; this is not a political issue nor is it propaganda. The suffering is real," said Hleleh. The poll, conducted in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Arab East Jerusalem, studied how government employees have been affected by living without salaries since March, when Hamas took power. more..
Poll shows Palestinian employees face deep crisis
ReliefWeb 9/24/2006
RAMALLAH, West Bank, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Three quarters of Palestinian government workers are no longer able to make ends meet because of unpaid wages and 22 percent wish to emigrate, a poll published on Sunday showed." There is a tendency towards the collapse of the employment sector," Samir Hleleh, managing director of British firm Portland Trust which conducted the survey with the Palestinian Economists Association, told reporters." Conditions for employees are extremely bad, this is not a political issue nor is it propaganda. The suffering is real." The poll, conducted in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, including Arab East Jerusalem, studied how government employees have been affected after going largely without salaries since March, when Hamas took power. more..
World poll favours Iran diplomacy
BBC 9/21/2006
World opinion opposes aggressive steps as a way of stopping a possible Iranian nuclear arms programme, according to a 25-nation poll for BBC World Service. But only 17% of those polled believed Iranian assurances that research it is carrying out is just for energy needs. The most popular course of action, with 39% support, was to use only diplomatic efforts; 11% favoured military strikes. Last month, Iran failed to abide by a UN deadline to halt uranium enrichment which could lead to sanctions. An average of 30% of respondents favoured economic sanctions if Iran continued to produce nuclear fuel. The survey asked 27,407 people in countries ranging from the US and Great Britain to Brazil, Egypt, France, India, Indonesia, Israel, Nigeria, Poland, Russia and Turkey. more..
World poll favours Iran diplomacy
BBC 9/21/2006
World opinion opposes aggressive steps as a way of stopping a possible Iranian nuclear arms programme, according to a 25-nation poll for BBC World Service. But only 17% of those polled believed Iranian assurances that research it is carrying out is just for energy needs. The most popular course of action, with 39% support, was to use only diplomatic efforts; 11% favoured military strikes. Last month, Iran failed to abide by a UN deadline to halt uranium enrichment which could lead to sanctions. An average of 30% of respondents favoured economic sanctions if Iran continued to produce nuclear fuel. The survey asked 27,407 people in countries ranging from the US and Great Britain to Brazil, Egypt, France, India, Indonesia, Israel, Nigeria, Poland, Russia and Turkey. more..
Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No. 21
Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research 9/18/2006
Despite Dissatisfaction with the Performance of the Hamas Government, Especially Regarding Salaries, and Despite Public Preference for a National Unity Government in which Fateh and Hamas are Equal, Hamas'' Popularity Remains Largely Unchanged and the Majority does not Think it Should Recognize Israel -- These are the results of the latest poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip during September 14-16, 2006. Total size of the sample is 1270 adults interviewed face to face in 127 randomly selected locations. Margin of error is 3%. Main Findings: A majority of 54% is dissatisfied with the overall performance of the Hamas government and 42% are satisfied... more..
Poll Finds Waning Faith in Military Interventions
Inter Press Service 9/7/2006
WASHINGTON, Sep 7 (IPS) - Five years after "9/11", the U.S. public is considerably less enthusiastic about projecting military power abroad, according to a major new survey, the first of a spate of polls that are likely to released in the run-up to Monday''s fifth anniversary of the attacks on New York and the Pentagon. The survey, conducted by the Pew Research Centre for the People and the Press here, found that Republicans remained substantially more supportive of military deployments overseas than both Democrats and independents who also believe -- by a three to one margin -- that the U.S. has lost respect in the world over the last few years. The survey of more than 1,500 randomly selected adults also found that nearly half (46 percent) of the respondents consider U.S. support for Israel a "major reason" for the rise in anti-U.S. sentiment around the world... more..
Palestinian poll reveals marked support of Hizbullah
Jerusalem Post 8/9/2006
A public opinion poll published on Tuesday showed that support for Hamas and Hizbullah among the Palestinians has increased over the past few weeks and that the number of those who believe in peace with Israel has dropped sharply. The poll, conducted by the Ramallah-based Near East Consulting group, covered more than 1,200 Palestinians living in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Its margin of error is reported to be 3. 6%. The poll was held in the first week of August and is an indication of the growing radicalization of Palestinian society. Its findings also show that support for Hamas has not been affected, despite US-led sanctions against the Hamas government.... Palestinians in the West Bank appear to be more radical in their views against Israel than their brethren in the Gaza Strip... more..
Visitors to the occupied Palestinian territory stay on average 21 days, according to survey
Ma''an News 6/29/2006
Ma''an -- Ma''an-The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics released on 28 June the results of a survey carried out on domestic and inbound foreign tourism in the occupied Palestinian territory. The results of the survey indicate that 34% of Palestinian households carried out at least one visit inside the occupied Palestinian territory during 2005. In the West Bank, 32. 7% of the households that carried out some form of domestic tourism visited Jericho and the Jordan Valley area while in the Gaza Strip, 43. 2% of the households that carried out tourist trips, visited the governorate of Gaza City. The most popular places visited in the occupied Palestinian territory were health facilities, restaurants and gardens, and available swimming pools. more..
Survey highlights Islam-West rift
BBC 6/23/2006
Deep mutual suspicions exist between the Muslim world and the West, a survey of global opinion suggests. Many Westerners see Muslims as fanatical, violent and intolerant, according to the study by the Pew Research Center in Washington. Muslims, for their part, tend to view the West as selfish, immoral, and greedy - as well as fanatical and violent - the survey says. The researchers canvassed the opinions of 14,000 people in 13 countries. BBC Islamic affairs analyst Roger Hardy says a string of events, from last year''s London bombings to the more recent row over cartoons satirising the Prophet Muhammad, appear to have taken their toll on relations between Islam and the West. The Pew Research Center''s survey, published on Thursday, speaks of a "great divide" between the two. more..
Survey shows Muslim women want right to vote
The Daily Star 6/10/2006