Palestinian Poll: Economic decline major concern, 66 % want truce with Israel, Fatah more popular than Hamas

Ma'an - Palestinians are overwhelmingly concerned by the economic situation in the West Bank and Gaza, an opinion poll from the Arab World for Research and Development found.

With numbers near even over local and national political matters, a large majority of Palestinians - 75 percent across the West Bank (67 percent) and Gaza (87 percent) - believed the economy was declining, and 67 percent listed the creation of jobs and fighting poverty as their first priority.

Improvement of the educational system was ranked as the top priority by 16 percent of respondents, and development of health services was listed as number one by eight percent.

The poll was conducted two weeks after the cancellation of municipal elections, between 21-22 June, with 1,200 adult respondents and a margin of error at +/-3 percent.

Those polled were much more ambivalent over the postponement of local elections, with 44 percent opposing the move and 42 percent supporting. A similar split was seen over blame for the cancellation, with 30 percent blaming Fatah and 24 percent blaming Hamas.

Another majority agreed over the need for reconciliation between the parties before municipal elections, with 74 percent.

A slimmer majority supported a renewal of the truce between Hamas and Israel at 66 percent, while numbers were again split over direct negotiations, with 48 percent supporting and 47 percent opposed.

Fatah came out on top amongst political parties, with an even 50 percent saying they would vote for the party if a municipal election was held the day they were polled, 25 percent would vote for a Hamas candidate and another 25 percent for an independent candidate.

Results were similar for PLC elections, with 54 percent saying they would vote for the PLO list headed by Abbas, 24 percent saying they would vote for the Islamist list headed by Haniyeh, and 22 percent for the independent list headed by both Salam Fayyad and Mustafa Bargouthi.

When asked to evaluate the overall situation of Palestinian society, approximately two-thirds of respondents said it was "moving in the wrong direction," while 27 percent said it was "moving in the right direction." The number was larger in Gaza, with 80 percent saying the situation was moving in the wrong direction.