The following are the results of the Palestinian Arab agency known as Jerusalem Media & CommunicationCentre [JMCC] Public Opinion Poll Number 21 of a random sample of 1,197 Palestinians age 18 and over in the West Bank [758] and Gaza [439] who were interviewed face-to-face on 3 and 4 July 1997. The statistical error is +/- 3 percentage points.

1. In general, to what extent would you say you are optimistic about the future? Would you say you are very optimistic, optimistic, pessimistic, or very pessimistic?

Total W.Bank Gaza
Very optimistic 6.7% 6.1% 7.7%
Optimistic 60.1% 57.0% 65.4%
Pessimistic 25.7% 29.3% 19.6%
Very pessimistic 6.9% 6.9% 7.1%
No answer 0.6% 0.7% 0.2%

2. In general, do you support or oppose the current peace process between the Palestinians and Israel? Do you strongly support, somewhat support, strongly oppose, or somewhat oppose the peace process?

Total W.Bank Gaza
Strongly support 22.3% 21.4% 23.9%
Somewhat support 46.4% 44.9% 49.2%
Strongly oppose 13.6% 14.2% 12.5%
Somewhat oppose 12.9% 13.9% 11.4%
No answer 4.8% 5.6% 3.0%

3. Which Palestinian political or religious faction do you trust most?

Total W.Bank Gaza
Fateh 34.8% 34.8% 34.9%
Hamas 11.3% 11.1% 11.6%
PFLP 3.1% 3.7% 2.1%
DFLP 0.8% 1.3%
Islamic Jihad 2.6% 2.0% 3.6%
PPP 0.8% 1.1% 0.5%
FIDA 0.7% 0.8% 0.5%
Other Islamic Org. 2.3% 2.6% 1.6%
Others 1.0% 1.1% 1.0%
Do not trust anyone 31.2% 30.3% 32.6%
No answer 11.4% 11.2% 11.6%

4. Which Palestinian political or religious personality do you trust most?

Total W.Bank Gaza
Yasser Arafat 37.6% 34.6% 42.8%
Ahmed Yassin 6.7% 6.2% 7.5%
Haidar Adbur Shafi 3.7% 3.8% 3.4%
Hanan Ashrawi 2.6% 3.3% 1.4%
George Habash 2.5% 2.9% 1.8%
Sa’eb Erekat 1.8% 2.0% 1.4%
Fasal Husseini 0.9% 1.2% 0.5%
Abu Mazen 0.8% 1.2% 0.2%
Nayef Hawatmeh 0.6% 0.7% 0.5%
Others 8.9% 7.2% 11.4%
Do not trust anyone 24.2% 26.9% 19.6%
No answer 9.7% 10.1% 9.6%

5. In general, how would you rate the overall performance of the Palestinian Authority? Would you say that its performance has been very good, good, bad or very bad?

Total W.Bank Gaza
Very good 7.7% 7.0% 8.9%
Good 59.7% 61.3% 56.9%
Bad 21.7% 21.1% 22.8%
Very bad 7.4% 7.0% 8.0%
No answer 3.5% 3.6% 3.8%

6. In general, how would you rate the overall performance of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat?

Total W.Bank Gaza
Good 49.5% 43.8% 59.5%
Average 33.0% 35.5% 28.7%
Bad 12.8% 15.6% 8.0%
No answer 4.7% 5.1% 3.9%

7. In general, how would you rate the overall performance of the Palestinian Legislative Council? Would you say that its performance has been very good, good, bad, or very bad?

Total W.Bank Gaza
Very good 4.4% 4.6% 4.1%
Good 42.3% 43.7% 39.9%
Bad 29.7% 29.6% 30.1%
Very bad 13.4% 10.6% 18.2%
No answer 10.2% 11.5% 7.7%

8. Now that the Oslo agreements for the transitional period have been implemented for some time, to what extent do you support or oppose these agreements?

Total W.Bank Gaza
Strongly support 8.2% 7.4% 9.6%
Cautiously support 54.2% 55.4% 52.2%
Do not support 30.4% 29.9% 31.2%
No answer 7.2% 7.3% 7.0%

9. How was your opinion of the following changed in comparison with last year? Has it improved, worsened, or remain the same as last year?

Total

Improved Worsened Same Don’t know No answer
Yasser Arafat 42.0% 14.5% 37.4% 4.3% 1.8%
Security forces 36.3% 29.7% 24.6% 7.5% 1.9%
Peace process 7.5% 71.0% 16.6% 3.7% 1.2%
Oslo 4.3% 65.2% 21.0% 8.1% 1.4%
PLC 18.0% 34.6% 33.9% 11.6% 1.8%
PNA 31.7% 28.4% 32.7% 5.4% 1.9%
Opposition 15.5% 27.8% 40.8% 13.0% 2.9%
Fateh 24.8% 25.5% 37.0% 10.2% 2.5%
Hamas 17.8% 27.1% 39.0% 13.2% 2.9%
Haider Abdul Shafi 16.4% 11.8% 38.8% 28.7% 4.3%

West Bank

Improved Worsened Same Don’t know No answer
Yasser Arafat 34.4% 17.2% 40.9% 5.4% 2.1%
Security forces 34.7% 29.2% 24.9% 9.2% 2.0%
Peace process 6.9% 72.6% 14.9% 4.4% 1.2%
Oslo 4.0% 65.7% 19.9% 9.1% 1.3%
PLC 17.3% 34.6% 32.6% 13.9% 1.6%
PNA 31.9% 29.7% 30.6% 6.2% 1.6%
Opposition 12.7% 31.7% 38.1% 15.2% 2.3%
Fateh 24.5% 26.6% 34.7% 11.6% 2.6%
Hamas 14.8% 29.7% 38.1% 14.4% 3.0%
Haider Abdul Shafi 12.7% 12.4% 38.5% 31.3% 5.1%

Gaza Strip

Improved Worsened Same Don’t know No answer
Yasser Arafat 55.1% 9.8% 31.4% 2.3% 1.4%
Security forces 39.2% 30.8% 23.9% 4.6% 1.5%
Peace process 8.7% 68.3% 19.6% 2.5% 0.9%
Oslo 4.8% 64.5% 22.8% 6.4% 1.5%
PLC 19.4% 34.6% 36.2% 7.7% 2.1%
PNA 31.2% 26.2% 36.2% 4.1% 2.3%
Opposition 20.3% 21.2% 45.3% 9.3% 3.9%
Fateh 25.3% 23.5% 41.0% 7.7% 2.5%
Hamas 23.0% 22.6% 40.5% 11.2% 2.7%
Haider Abdul Shafi 22.8% 10.7% 39.2% 24.1% 3.2%

10. Some Palestinians think that the level of corruption in the Palestinian Authority is high; others think that there is corruption but it is not widespread; while others think that there isn’t any corruption. What do you think?

Total W.Bank Gaza
There is a great deal 44.9% 42.0% 49.9%
There is a fair amount 40.7% 40.9% 40.3%
There is hardly any at all 6.6% 7.9% 4.3%
No answer 7.8% 9.2% 5.5%