A new poll published on October 27th by Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) in Ramallah, led by Dr. Khalil Shikaki (a member of our Two-State Coalition) examines Palestinian attitudes in the West Bank and Gaza. The latest poll offers encouraging data regarding support for the two-state solution.
When asked about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, support for the two-state solution rose substantially by 10% (from 36% to 46%) since the previous poll was conducted one month ago; and also compared to the past 6 months. Most of the Israeli public, also preferences a two-state solution over all other options for ending the conflict. The last Geneva Initiative poll conducted in May 2021 revealed that 56% of the Israeli public favour this outcome.
Alongside this, the poll also noted that:
For the first time in six months the percentage of those who prefer to change the status quo through negotiations is higher than those who prefer to do so through waging armed struggle. The most preferred way out of the current status quo is “reaching a peace agreement with Israel” according to 36% (which is up 7% from the previous month) of the public, as opposed to alternatives such as waging an armed struggle, or waging non-violent resistance.
However, simultaneously, 44% of Palestinians indicated that armed struggle, in their view, is the most effective and visible way to bring an end to the Israeli occupation. This can be linked to the 76% who believe that the chances of establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel in the next 5 years are slim.
The findings also show that overall support for Fatah has increased, which is now higher than support for Hamas. If new parliamentary elections were to take place today Fatah would receive 38% of the vote share and Hamas 33%. In September Hamas received 37% and Fatah 33%.
In conclusion, several months after the escalation in May, and following a resumption of ties between Israeli ministers and Palestinian officials, together with the implementation of new confidence-building measures, there is a clear increase in support and belief in the two-state solution among the Palestinian public. This offers hope for preserving prospects for peace, and underscores the importance of taking active steps towards advancing a political solution.
The poll was conducted between 14-23 October 2021: Total size of the sample is 1800 adults interviewed face to face in 120 randomly selected locations. Margin of error is +/-3%. The full poll can read here.
