Polls & Research

Palestinians Reject Hamas Recognizing Israel

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The majority of people in the Palestinian Territories are against the militant group Hamas recognizing the legitimacy of Israel as a state, according to a poll by Arab World for Research & Development. 63 per cent of respondents living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip share this opinion.

Fatah candidate Mahmoud Abbas won the January 2005 presidential ballot in the Palestinian Territories with 62.32 per cent of all cast ballots. In January 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative Council election, securing 74 of the 112 seats at stake. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh officially took over as prime minister in March. The Israeli government believes Hamas is directly responsible for the deaths of 377 citizens in a variety of attacks, which include dozens of suicide bombings.

In February 2007, Hamas and Fatah leaders reached an accord which set the guidelines for a power-sharing Palestinian administration, headed by Hamas. In June, amid a wave of violent clashes between Hamas and Fatah factions, Hamas militants seized control of Gaza. Abbas issued a decree to form a 12-member emergency government based in the West Bank and expelled Hamas from the administration. Fatah member Salam Fayyad was appointed as prime minister by Abbas.

In November 2007, Abbas and leaders from the United States, Israel and several Arab countries attended an international conference on Middle East affairs in Annapolis, Maryland. The meeting was brokered by U.S. president George W. Bush. On Nov. 27, Abbas and Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert announced they would work towards having a peace treaty signed by the end of 2008, which would include the creation of a Palestinian state.

The Islamic Jihad organization has been launching Qassam rockets into Israel from Gaza almost daily since Hamas took control of the territory. Israel holds Hamas responsible for the attacks for allowing the Islamic Jihad and other groups to act against Israel. In January, Israel completely sealed off its borders with the Gaza Strip and launched military operations in Gaza.

On May 16, Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha said the movement will send a group of representatives to Egypt to discuss a possible truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip, adding, "We are not against releasing (Gilad) Shalit, however, this file has requirements to be matched. The groups that have Shalit insist on their demands."

On Jun. 28, 2006, Israel launched an operation in the Palestinian Territories in response to a joint raid carried out by Palestinian militants on a military post outside of the Gaza Strip, in which two Israeli soldiers were killed, and one more, Shalit, was captured. Shalit remains captive to this day. For months, Hamas has stated that Shalit will only be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Polling Data

Do you support or oppose Hamas’ recognition of the state of Israel?

Support	17.3%
To some extent	14.1%
Oppose	63.0%
Don’t know / No opinion	5.6%

Source: Arab World for Research & Development
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,200 Palestinian adults in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, conducted from May 3 to May 5, 2008. Margin of error is 3.1 per cent.