How will the PA face its declining popularity?
It remains to be seen whether the attitudes of Palestinians on managing the conflict with Israel and the increased popular support for the armed struggle push Hamas to encourage military resistance.
The Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) published Feb. 11 the results of its public opinion poll No. 75, showing a decline in support for the Palestinian Authority (PA) and President Mahmoud Abbas.
The poll, conducted to measure the response to the US announcement Jan. 28 of the peace plan known as the deal of the century, showed a Palestinian consensus against it.
Out of 1,270 Palestinian respondents — 830 from the West Bank and 440 from the Gaza Strip — two-thirds supported Abbas' position against the deal. Yet the poll also showed that between two-thirds and three-quarters do not trust Abbas’ intentions to execute his promises of severing ties with Israel and halting security coordination.
The results confirmed that support for the two-state solution is at its lowest level — less than 40% — since the signing of the Oslo Accord in 1993. Meanwhile, support for resorting to armed struggle at the expense of negotiations with Israel increased.
