Thread by @DanStibbs

🧵The excellent @INSSIsrael survey of West Bank Palestinians paints a fascinating picture of attitudes towards Hamas, Israel, October 7th, and the Gaza War. Here are the highlights

1/

"Given what happened afterwards, was Hamas' decision to launch the October 7th attack against Israel right or wrong?"

Right: 26%
Wrong: 46%
DK: 28%

2/

WB Palestinians are split as to whether Hamas' war helped or hindered the cause of Palestinian statehood

3/

A plurality of WB Palestinians oppose disarming Hamas in order to end the Gaza War.

4/

"Who should govern Gaza post-war?"

Unity gov't of Hamas & Fatah: 39%
Palestinian Authority: 24%
A technocratic regime supported by Arab states: 17%
Hamas: 8%

5/

Only half of WB Palestinians say their ideal outcome of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a two-state solution

6/

But three out of four WB Palestinians say they'd support a Two-State Solution - if it includes unrealistic terms such as territorial continuity between WB & Gaza (which would necessarily involve Israel ceding territory in a way that would divide the country in two!)

7/

"Can Israelis & Palestinians live together with full civic equality in a singly state?

Yes: 40%
No: 59%

8/

"In your opinion, what is the best way to end the occupation?"

Negotiations: 43%
Popular resistance: 25%
Armed resistance: 17%

9/

Half of WB Palestinians recognize that violence has failed to achieve their objectives

10/

But despite its apparent failure, a plurality of WB Palestinians support continuing the "armed struggle" against Israel

11/

"Does kidnapping Israeli civilians serve Palestinian nationalist aims?"

Yes: 31%
No: 57%

12/

Most WB Palestinians do not believe that Israel has a right to exist

13/

"Do you believe that the State of Israel will always exist?"

Yes: 16%
No: 69%

14/

Half of WB Palestinians believe that Israel is destructable - even after Hamas' Gaza War gamble

15/

Note that the fieldwork was conducted before the Gaza ceasefire was negotiated

16/

PA leader Mahmoud Abbas is clearly more popular abroad than he is at home

17/

These are brutal numbers for Hamas

18/

The vast majority of WB Palestinians view the normalization of relations between Israel & Arab states as a betrayal

19/

"Do the Arab states have a critical role to play in the establishment of a Palestinian state?"

Yes: 39%
No: 61%

20/

Most WB Palestinians' primary identity is Muslim rather than Palestinian

21/

There is widespread fear that WB cities could share the fate of Gaza

22/

Fieldwork: Sep. 1-7
Source:

End 🧵inss.org.il/publication/su…