58% of Palestinians prefer a two-state solution and 27% prefer a one-state solution

June 19, 2008 Palestinian surveys, Israeli-Palestinian conflict No Comments

Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research Unit

PSR - Survey Research Unit: Public Opinion Poll # 28, 12 June 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 5 and 7 June 2008. This period witnessed the declaration by the President of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Mahmud Abbas of his desire to renew dialogue with Hamas. It also witnessed continued closure of the Rafah border crossing despite Hamas’s attempt to open it. Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel on a ceasefire failed to produce agreement while the threat of a possible Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip escalated further. Total size of the sample is 1270 adults interviewed face to face in 127 randomly selected locations. Margin of error is 3%.

2) Ceasefire, the One-State Solution, and the Peace Process

* An overwhelming majority supports a ceasefire with Israel, but a similar majority opposes the ceasefire if it does not include the West Bank or does not stipulate the immediate opening of the Rafah crossing to Egypt.
* In a comparison between the one-state solution and the two-state solution, 58% prefer the two-state solution and 27% prefer the one-state solution.
* Stability in the position of Palestinians regarding a permanent settlement along the lines of the Clinton Parameters and the Geneva Initiative; 46% support it and 52% oppose it.
* 56% support and 43% oppose mutual recognition of Israel and the state for the Jewish people and Palestine as the state for the Palestinian people after reaching a permanent settlement.
* 67% support and 28% oppose the Saudi peace initiative.
* 50% support the Roadmap and 47% oppose it.
* An overwhelming majority prefers a permanent settlement and only 15% prefers an interim one.
* 66% believe that the chances for the establishment of a Palestinian state during the next five years are either low or non existent.
* 76% believe that the negotiations launched by the Annapolis conference will fail.
* 68% believe that Olmert-Abbas meetings are not useful and should be stopped while only 27% believe they are useful and should continue.
* Support for armed attacks against Israelis drops from 67% to 55% during three months; similarly, support for launching rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip drops from 64% to 57% during the same period.
* Two thirds believe that success in the Syrian-Israeli track will not have a negative impact on the Palestinian-Israeli track.