55.5% of respondents to the Pcpo poll agree with ending all forms of collaboration on intelligence and security. In Gaza, the strongest consent to the hard line (65%), in the West Bank the figure is 49.1%. But only 18.7% are convinced that it will improve the living conditions of the Palestinians. And 48.7% that it will have negative repercussions in the fight against Covid-19.
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - Over half of Palestinian population (55.5%) agrees with the decision made by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to stop collaborating with Israel on security and intelligence issues.
The measure was announced in May by President Abu Mazen in response to the new government's plan to annex up to 30% of the occupied West Bank territories.
The data emerges from a survey published yesterday by Nabil Kukali, a Palestinian Christian, former professor of statistics at the University of Hebron, president and founder of the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion (Pcpo) research institute.
The inhabitants of Gaza are the staunchest supporters of the hard line (65%), while in the West Bank the figure stops at 49.1%.
Palestinian fears and concerns clearly emerge from poll number 205, in a context of increased uncertainties worsened by the new coronavirus pandemic. The poll was carried out between June 14 and 22 and involved 1250 Palestinians over the age of 18 from the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
Nabil Kukali maintains the unilateral move by Israel, supported by the United States but opposed by the UN and most of the international community, will undermine the last chance of "creating an independent [Palestinian] state".
The survey also reveals "the deterioration of economic and living conditions" in the Palestinian Territories, which is counterbalanced by "mutual collaboration" between the two realities in the common struggle against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Returning to the research, against a 55.5% of supporters of the policy of the rigor of the PNA there is a 44.5% of Palestinians (50.9% in the West Bank and 35% in Gaza) who consider the choice made by the Palestinian leadership "wrong".
At the level of governorates, those who support the choices of the Palestinian leadership most strongly are Al-Bireh & Ramallah (81.8%), Jerusalem (62.8%) and Jericho (55.6%). In contrast, those who harbor greater distrust and disagree with the official line are Bethlehem (84.1% against the hard line towards Israel), Qalqilia (72.2%) and Jenin (66%). In the Strip, the highest figure in the consensus was recorded in Rafah (78.1%), while in Gaza City 63.9% were in favor.
The curators of the survey also asked respondents if the termination of the collaboration in intelligence and security will improve or worsen the economic and living conditions of the Palestinian people.
18.7% of the interviewees are optimistic and say that they will improve; the majority (52.3%) are convinced that "they will get worse" and 15.8% "it will have no effect" (13.2% say they have no opinion on the matter).
Finally, 48.7% believe that this move will have negative repercussions in the fight against the new coronavirus.