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65% of Palestinians think the two-state solution is no longer viable

December 14, 2016 at 8:23 pm

Israel and Palestine, Two-States Solution [Wikipedia]

Two-thirds of Palestinians believe the two-state solution is no longer viable and want Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to step down, according to a survey by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR).

According to a poll of 1,270 Palestinians, 64 per cent said that Abbas should resign, while only 32 per cent said they wanted him to remain in office. In the Gaza Strip, an overwhelming 72 per cent wanted Abbas to leave office.

Unsurprisingly the poll showed a sharp increase in the number of Palestinians who believed the two-state solution was no longer viable; 65 per cent compared to 56 per cent three months ago. A further 62 per cent wanted to abandon the Oslo Accords.

On the questions of Israeli annexation, 54 per cent believed that Israel’s long term goal was to fully annex the occupied Palestinian territory and expel its Palestinian inhabitants. A further 73 per cent feared for their safety and security saying that they were worried of being hurt by Israel or that their lands and homes would be confiscated or demolished.

An overwhelming majority, 76 per cent, believed that the PA and its institutions were corrupt but felt paralysed to do anything about it; only 36 per cent thought Palestinians in the West Bank could criticise the Palestinian Authority without fear of repercussions.

The poll asked a wide range of questions including questions about the recent fire in Israel and the Israeli Knesset’s bill to ban the Muslim call to prayer. Some 87 per cent of Palestinians believe that the bill being debated by Israeli lawmakers was a sign that the Israeli government was waging a war against Islam.

Regarding the US presidential elections and the outgoing President Barak Obama, 83 per cent said that he had not made serious efforts to resolve the conflict. While 53 per cent said they wanted US President-elect Donald Trump to stay out of the peace process, with only 30 per cent saying they wanted him to play a strong role, and 10 per cent stating that they wanted him to maintain the same role as the outgoing administration.