The following are the results of a poll of a representative sample of 500 adult Palestinians from Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron conducted by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion (PCPO) at Beit Sahour and prepared under the supervision of its President Dr. Nabil Kukali on March 9-11, 1997. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points.

  1. Position on continuing negotiations in the light of Israel’s intransigence in building a settlement on Abu Ghneim.
    Continue 27.1%, halt 34.2%, abolish 38.7%.
  2. Position on the stance of President Bill Clinton vis-a-vis a potential settlement in East Jerusalem:
    Positive 14.2%, negative 73.2%, no opinion 12.6%.
  3. President Clinton’s invitation to Arafat to visit the United States is a real change in the American policy:
    Favor 17.8%, oppose 64.2%, noncommittal 18%.
  4. The Palestinian reaction to the settlement on Mount Abu-Ghneim will be:
    a neo intafada 48.3%, a peaceful confrontation 32.6%, abstain 19.1%.
  5. If the answer to question no 4 is a neo-intafada, are you ready to take part in it?
    Yes 48.5%, no 27%, no opinion 24.5%.
  6. Are you in favor or against suicidal attacks against Israeli targets?
    Favor 40.8%, against 44.1%, noncommittal 15.1%.
  7. If Israel insisted on building the settlement on Abu-Ghneim, are you in favor of the idea of building an equal number of housing units to the Arabs in East Jerusalem in return?
    Favor 43.2%, oppose 46.7%, no opinion 11.1%.
  8. Position on the Palestinian action on the local, Arab and international levels to stop building settlements:
    satisfactory 16.9%, unsatisfactory 72.4%, noncommittal 10.7%.
  9. Position on the American stance in the UN in the light of latest Veto?
    Impartial 9.9%, biased 72.8%, no opinion 17.3%.
  10. Position on the unilateral decision of the Israeli government on the redeployment in 9% of the West Bank.
    Israel committed to the peace process 4.5%,
    An Israeli hoax to undermine the peace process 67.1%,
    Unsatisfactory unilateral step 28.4%.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director
IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
P.O. Box 982, Kfar Sava, ISRAEL
email: imra@netvision.net.il