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Dear Madame, I would like at the beginning to welcome you to the results of our study no. (153) and to thank you for your interest in our polling activities, which reflect hopes, fears and concerns of the Palestinian people. Please feel quite free to contact us immediately if you have any questions or inquiry on any issue of this study. With our good wishes and best regards, Dr. Nabil Kukali In a survey prepared by Dr. Nabil Kukali about the impacts of suspending the European and American financial and economical aid on the Palestinian government: * An overwhelming majority (79.8%) are concerned about the subsistence of their family due to the suspension of the financial and economical aid. * A clear majority (59.8%) believe that the suspension of the financial and economical aid will increase the rate of violence in the region. * An overwhelming majority (73.9%) call on the US-Americans and the European countries to reconsider their decision halting the financial and economical aid to the Palestinian government. * A substantial majority (57.8%) oppose to various degrees the decisions of the EU and the US governments halting the financial and economical aid to the Palestinian government. * More than one third (38.2%) call to various degrees for the continuation of the financial and economical aid through the Palestinian cabinet. * A clear majority (62.5%) believe that the UN-resolution imposing restrictions on dealing with the Palestinian government contradicts the international regulations. * A clear majority (58.7%) believe that the Arab countries are capable of replacing the financial and economical aid suspended by the donor countries. In the most recent survey prepared by Dr. Nabil Kukali, Director of the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion (PCPO), and conducted during the period from April 14 – 17, 2006, a random sample of (675) Palestinian adults over 18 years old representing the various demographic specimens of the people living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip, has been interviewed. The most significant result of the survey is that the majority of the Palestinians, specifically (79.8%), (81.2%) in Gaza Strip and (79.0%) in the West Bank, are concerned about the subsistence of their family due to the halt of the financial and economical aid by the European Union and the United States of America to the Palestinian government and the suspension of dues transfer by the Israeli government. Dr. Kukali laid in his comments stress on the importance of granting the Palestinian Authority, in which the Palestinian government is only a part of its executive apparatus, the chance to show a positive position towards the peace process. Even Mr. Ehud Olmert, leader of Kadima and the acting Israeli Prime Minister, said in a statement published in the "The Wall Street Journal"(online) dated April 12th, 2006 that he is "watching closely to see if Hamas moderates its view toward Israel." And now one automatically asks: How could Hamas be able to moderate its view toward Israel in the shadow of the international and Israeli political, economical, and media siege imposed on it? "Why shouldn't Hamas be given a chance, since it has already given more than a positive hint through its cabinet statement and through the declaration of some of its senior officials expressing its readiness to go ahead with the peace process?", Dr. Kukali said. Dr. Kukali further commented the results saying that all the Palestinian factions of the whole political and social spectrum should now form a government of a national unity as to encounter the enormous pressure laid on the Palestinian government, because the majority of the Palestinians, namely (46.7%), support that, (64.9%) in Gaza Strip and (36.3%) in the West Bank), as the poll results revealed. "The Palestinian government must reconsider its position towards the Palestinian Liberation Organization in view of the interests of the Palestinian people and should act in accordance with the presidential letter of assignment," Dr. Kukali said. He further pointed out that the approval of the letter of assignment and the formation of a government of national unity will embarrass the UN and those countries, which are in alignment with the Israeli policy imposing a financial, moral and political siege on the new promising Palestinian government." Dr. Kukali is of the opinion that the Israeli government, in particular the winner Kadima Party, should perceive that the suffering of the people no way means their defeat. "The opposite is rather the case", he said. "Suffering of the people strengthens their will and determination to struggle as to live in dignity and freedom. Israel should know that the Palestinian people is still under its occupation and Israel will be therefore held responsible for providing humanitarian assistance to these people," Dr. Kukali added. He wondered that the decision-makers in Washington and in the capitals of the European countries are supposed to be aware that the consequences of such policies will only prolong the period of struggle, bloodshed and hardship, will feed the mutual violence and will henceforth lead to further deterioration of security, which will surely be reflected in the Israeli society. Dr. Kukali emphasized that the suspension of the financial and economical aid to the Palestinian people will extremely increase poverty, hardship and the feeling of being unjustly treated. Kindergartens and schools will shut down, the general hygienic condition will be degenerated due to the lack of medical and health services and the spread of deceases. The educational sector will collapse and the rate of crime will rapidly rise. Milk bottles for children will become a rarity and malnutrition will be a serious problem, particularly among children. The survey has shown that most of the respondents believe that a sharp fall of job opportunities will be the first direct harm of the aid suspension, followed by the family income. Detriment due to the lack of food will be in the third position, and the education sector will be effected in the fourth position. Health would come in the 5th position and raising children would be ranking in the last position, Dr. Kukali said. He concluded his comments saying that the Palestinian people call on the US and EU to reconsider their decision as to sow seeds of love and hope rather than laying thorns of hostility and hatred, and well-being and good health rather than spread of deceases, and education rather than ignorance, and tolerance rather than hatred, and peace rather than violence. The Objective of the Study: The target of this study is to examine the negative effects accruing from the suspension of the financial and economical aid of the United States and the European countries to the Palestinian government and the harms the Palestinian society will sustain on all aspects of life, showing the significance of the aid for the Palestinian people and the necessity of reversing the US- and the EU-decisions. The study casts furthermore light on possible alternatives how to bring the aid directly to the Palestinian people, probes the UN-decision imposing restrictions on dealing with the Palestinian government and makes the attempt to reflect the feelings of the Palestinians towards their future in the shadow of such international measures. The Findings: Concern about one's subsistence: Responding to the question: "To which degree are you at present concerned about the subsistence of your family?", (41.7%) replied "very much concerned", (38.1%) are "concerned", (11.0%) are "not so much concerned", (7.9%) are "not concerned at all" and (1.3%) replied "I don't know". The UN-resolution: A great majority (62.5%) of the Palestinian people believe that the UN-resolution imposing restrictions on dealing with the Palestinian government contradicts the international regulations, whilst (33.2%) see the opposite, and (4.3%) didn't respond to the question. Attitude of the Israeli government: A majority (50.2%) of the respondents believe that the attitude of the Israeli government in regard to the suspension of all contacts with the Palestinian government will strengthen Hamas position, while (47.7%) said it weakens Hamas position, and (2.1%) didn't express their opinion. Statement of the US-Secretary of State Department: Responding to the question: Do you agree or disagree to the following statement of the US-Secretary of State Department, Condoleezza Rice, published in the State Department Briefing on Friday, April 7: "Because the new Hamas-led Palestinian government has failed to accept the Quartet principles of nonviolence, recognition of Israel and respect for previous agreements between the parties, the United States is suspending assistance to the Palestinian government's cabinet and ministries", (13.1%) said "strongly agree", (28.6%) "somewhat agree", (22.8%) "somewhat disagree", (35.0%) "strongly disagree" and (0.5%) answered "don't know". Aid and Violence: A clear majority (59.8%) of the Palestinian people believe that the halt of the foreign financial and economical aid to the Palestinian government will increase the rate of violence in the region, whilst (20.8%) said "it will decrease it" and (19.1%) think "it will have no effect at all", and only (0.3%) didn't respond. Harm of suspending foreign aid to the Palestinian citizen: With respect to the following statement: "The suspension of the foreign financial and economical aid to the Palestinian government will harm the Palestinian society on various fields. Please put the fields, where you personally think will be harmed, in the order of their detrimental significance using the figures (1) to (6), where (1) stands for the utmost degree of harm, followed by (2) as the lesser degree of harm, and ending with (6) as the field of the least degree of harm.", the result was as follows:
Significance of the US-American and European Aid: Regarding the question: "Up to which extent the US-American and European financial and economical aid contribute in general to the well-being of the Palestinian people ?", (37.3%) said "to a high degree", (44.0%) "to a mediocre degree", (12.8%) "to an unimportant degree", (5.2%) said "nil", and (0.7%) "don't know". Reconsidering the decision: Around one- third (36.9%) of the respondents said "their view to the US and to the EU would be high positive if these countries would reconsider their decision of halting their financial and economical aid to the Palestinian government, while (32.6%) "would have a moderate positive view", (30.4%) said "their view would remain unchanged", and (0.1%) declined to respond to the question. What donor countries should do: An overwhelming majority (73.9%) of the respondents called on the governments of the US and the EU to continue their financial and economical aid to the Palestinian government, while (24.3%) called for halting the aid to the government, and (1.8%) hesitated to answer the question. Furthermore, (31.6%) of the respondents called on the US and EU to grant nowadays their aid to the Palestinians through the office of the PA-president, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, (38.2%) said "through the Palestinian cabinet, Mr. Ismael Haniyyeh as Prime Minister, (22.5%) said "through the UN-organizations like UNRWA, (7.3%) suggested "through the NGO's" and (0.4%) are for "otherwise". What Palestinians should do: Responding to the question:" In the light of the grave Israeli escalation against the Palestinian people and the corresponding declaration of the Israeli government about the suspension of its relations with the Palestinian Authority, and the resolutions of the governments of the US and EU to the effect of halting the financial and economical aid to the Palestinian people, what should – according to your opinion – the Palestinians do at present ?", (17.9%) suggested "to finally dissolve the Palestinian Authority", (17.9%) proposed "the PA-President, Mr. Abbas, to resign and new presidential elections to be held", (46.7%) said "to form a government of national unity", (16.7%) suggested "the present Palestinian government should resign and to run new legislative elections", whilst (0.8%) " have no opinion". Financial and economical aid of the Arab countries: A clear majority (58.7%) of the respondents said "the Arab countries are capable of replacing the financial and economical aid suspended by the Europeans and US-Americans to the Palestinian government, whilst (40.1%) said "they are incapable of doing that", and (1.2%) declined to respond to the question. Optimism and Pessimism: Responding to the question: " After the formation of the present Palestinian government under Mr. Ismael Haniyyeh as Prime Minister, are you - upon viewing a possible improvement of the economical conditions - more optimistic or more pessimistic than in the past ?", (24.3%) said " more optimistic", (31.3%) said "they remained optimistic as in the past", (20.0%) said "they remained pessimistic as in the past", whilst (23.1%) said "they are more pessimistic than in the past", and (1.3%) "Don't know". Methodology of the Survey Study: "All interviews took place on the basis of random choices of respondents' homes, i.e. face-to-face during different working hours, at least 5 hours a day, including the evening time, in order to ensure proper representation of those sub-groups of the population, which would otherwise be difficult to reach and selecting one individual in each household using Last Birthday Method. ", Mr. Elias Kukali, a staff member of the Research & Studies Section at the PCPO, said. The choices were taken from a total of (125) election sites, from which (90) sites are located in West Bank and (35) sites in Gaza Strip according to the distribution of the Central Election committee. These election sites were randomly chosen by using the method of the simple random sample. These in turn were the beginning of the random sample choice made from those regions in accordance with PCPO's long experienced methodology. The margin of error was (±3.77%) at a significance and confidence levels of (5%) and (95%) respectively. Elias Kukali added "the percentage of female respondents was (49.0%) whereas that of the male respondents reached (51.0%). He said the composition of the sample according to the residential area was as follows: (63.7%) West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and (36.3%) Gaza Strip. He further pointed out that the allocation of the sample in respect of the type of residence was as follows: (51.9%) city, (31.7%) village and (16.4%) refugee camp. |