Field work: 20 March 2011
Sample Size: 300 Palestinians in the West Bank & Gaza
Margin of error: ± 2 %
Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD) carried out an opinion poll to gauge Palestinian reactions to the March 16, 2011 speech delivered by President Mahmoud Abbas before the PLO Central Council. In his speech, Abbas called for the formation of an interim government responsible for the preparatory work needed for the municipal, parliamentary, and presidential elections.
Abbas also announced his intent to visit Gaza with the aim of ending the division between Hamas and Fatah. The poll was carried out four days after the delivery of the speech with a sample of 300 adult Palestinians proportionally distributed between the West Bank and Gaza and the various socio-economic groups.
The results of the poll reveal widespread support for the President’s speech and a parallel increase in his popularity:
- Positive evaluation of President Abbas increased by 12 points—from 64 percent on 7 March to 76 percent on 16 March.
- In contrast, there was a slight decline in the positive evaluation of Prime Minster Haniyeh; from 44 percent to 40 percent.
- About 81 percent gave the overall content of the President's speech a positive evaluation. About 9 percent said that it was fair and 4 percent were not sure.
- 30 percent approved of Hamas’ reaction to the speech. 22 percent had expressed a fair evaluation of the reaction and 24 percent expressed negative reactions.
As mentioned, the vast majority supported the statements made by President Abbas in his speech. For example:
- 91 percent supported the President’s call for the formation of a government of independents to prepare for legislative, presidential and PNC elections. Only 4 percent were opposed and another 4 percent were not sure.
- 89 percent supported his call for elections within six months or as soon as possible. About 8 percent were opposed to this idea and 3 percent were not sure.
- 79 percent supported his statement about the need for elections to be sponsored by international, Arab and Islamic institutions. About 15 percent were opposed to this statement and 6 percent were not sure.
When asked about the most appropriate Palestinian leader to head the proposed interim government, 37 percent of respondents selected Dr. Salam Fayyad, followed by Ismael Haniyeh with 13 percent and Nabil Sha'ath with 7 percent. It is interesting to note that a significant number of respondents—43 percent—did not select any of the proposed three leaders, indicating they were undecided.
The results confirm the deep-rooted desire of the Palestinian people to achieve unity and reconciliation as prerequisites to achieve liberation and independence. The latest AWRAD poll confirms that the Palestinian public is increasingly weary and impatient with the two dominant political powers – Fatah and Hamas – and disillusioned by their lack of desire of ability to reach an agreement. In addition, AWRAD polling illustrates President Abbas’s leadership qualities and the broad appeal of his willingness to transcend the political losses he incurred as a result of the 2007 Gaza Coup and the local and international pressures acting against Palestinian unity. The poll shows that mounting public support for unity and the present efforts by the Palestinian leadership present an opportunity to end the stalemate. Dr. Nader Said, President of AWRAD, cites the results of the latest AWRAD poll as evidence of the need for Palestinian leaders to respect the will of the people, as they remain the best judge of Palestine’s needs and priorities—overwhelmingly, the people wish to elect their representatives and reassert themselves as the source of legitimacy after five years of a stagnant electoral climate.
For the Arabic report, please refer to the following link: