Analysis

Poll shows falling Palestinian support for Hamas

In Gaza, only 30% think Hamas won summer war; survey shows overwhelming back for PA’s ICC bid and boycott of Israeli products

By Avi Issacharoff 10 March 2015, 8:03 pm

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Avi Issacharoff, The Times of Israel's Middle East analyst, fills the same role for Walla, the leading portal in Israel. He is also a guest commentator on many different radio shows and current affairs programs on television. Until 2012, he was a reporter and commentator on Arab affairs for the Haaretz newspaper. He also lectures on modern Palestinian history at Tel Aviv University, and is currently writing a script for an action-drama series for the Israeli satellite Television "YES." Born in Jerusalem, he graduated cum laude from Ben Gurion University with a B.A. in Middle Eastern studies and then earned his M.A. from Tel Aviv University on the same subject, also cum laude. A fluent Arabic speaker, Avi was the Middle East Affairs correspondent for Israeli Public Radio covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the war in Iraq and the Arab countries between the years 2003-2006. Avi directed and edited short documentary films on Israeli television programs dealing with the Middle East. In 2002 he won the "best reporter" award for the "Israel Radio” for his coverage of the second intifada. In 2004, together with Amos Harel, he wrote "The Seventh War - How we won and why we lost the war with the Palestinians." A year later the book won an award from the Institute for Strategic Studies for containing the best research on security affairs in Israel. In 2008, Issacharoff and Harel published their second book, entitled "34 Days - The Story of the Second Lebanon War," which won the same prize.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, January 4, 2015 (Flash90)

A poll of Palestinians published Tuesday showed overwhelming support for both the Palestinian Authority’s decision to turn to the International Criminal Court, and its boycott of Israeli products. The findings also indicated dwindling support for Hamas in past months.

According to the survey — which was conducted at the end of February by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center, among 1,200 respondents in the West Bank and Gaza — nearly 70 percent support the ICC bid, and 59.2% back the boycott.

If elections were held today in the West Bank and Gaza, only 22% would vote for Hamas (compared to 29% in a poll last October), while 37% said they would back Fatah. However, the number of participants who said they wouldn’t vote for either rose to nearly 25% — an increase from 19% in the last poll.

With regard to internal Palestinian conflict, some 34% blamed Hamas for the disagreements between the rival factions, and 17% blamed Fatah. Most of those who blamed Hamas are residents of Gaza.

At the same time, PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah’s approval ratings took a hit, in part due to the salaries crisis and tax freeze by Israel in response to the PA’s ICC bid.

A vast majority of the respondents, 87.7%, said they negatively view the advancement of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Only 3.3% said they view this as a positive development. Moreover, most said the Islamic State’s gains compromised their chances for statehood.

The poll also asked about last summer’s war in Gaza. Only 40.4% said Hamas won the war, as compared to 57.1% in the last poll. The majority of those who believed Hamas was the victor were West Bank residents. In Gaza, only 30.9% believe Hamas won the 50-day war.