More than half of the Palestinians support a two-state solution to solve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, according to a survey conducted by Arab News in conjunction with the YouGov research company.
“Prospect, Peace and Politics: Where do Palestinians Stand?” polled 953 Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip – 467 men and 486 women – from April 28 until May 11.
The survey was published on Sunday as a part of an Arab News report, entitled “Nakba’s 75th anniversary,” on Monday, which commemorated the “catastrophe” of Israel’s establishment in 1948.
It was conducted online in English and Arabic. Most of the respondents were between the ages of 25 and 45, and about half of them said they were employed.
Almost two-thirds of those surveyed (63%) said they did not feel represented by Hamas nor Fatah. Three-quarters of the respondents said the Palestinian Authority leadership was not capable of making peace with Israel.
The second-most popular option after a two-state solution was the creation of a single Israeli-Palestinian secular state, which 21% of respondents supported.
Thirteen percent of the respondents said they would willingly choose to become citizens of a single unified Israeli state, while 11% said they would opt for “living under full Israeli occupation without obtaining citizenship,” Arab News reported.
About 4% said the ideal solution would involve Gaza being incorporated into Egypt, the West Bank being connected to Jordan and Palestinian citizens receiving citizenship from either of the two Arab countries.
The future of the Palestinian state
Regardless of how a potential future state is organized, more than 40% of the respondents said economic development was their highest priority.
The vast majority of Palestinians surveyed said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not truly intend to pursue any kind of peace deal.
Additionally, there was a sharp split in the Palestinian opinion of the Abraham Accords, with 52% claiming it had caused Israel to be more “aggressive toward Palestinians” and 43% holding the opposite view.