Findings of the second quarter of 2010 indicate that despite the events associated with the Free Gaza flotilla and the Israeli attack on it, a significant improvement in the status of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and his government has been registered. But it is worth mentioning that the decision by Fayyad’s government to cancel local elections scheduled for next month came during the conducting of the poll. It is likely that the cancellation of the elections will have a negative impact on the standing of Fayyad and his government and the standing of President Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah. The public is likely to view the cancellation as an indication of a major failure in state and institution building, a process led by Fayyad and his government, and an indication of fragmentation, panic and lack of leadership within Fatah.

The results were as follows:

• Positive evaluation of the performance of the Fayyad government increases from 42% last March to 48%. Moreover, satisfaction with Abbas’s performance increases slightly during the same period from 47% to 49%.
• Performance of the Fayyad government receives positive evaluation in the area of service delivery and negative evaluation in the area of freedoms. Three years after the establishment of the first Fayyad government, larger percentages believe conditions have become better in the areas of economy (47%), enforcement of law and order (57%) and educational services (54%). But only 30% say conditions of corruption have improved and larger percentages believe conditions have become worse in the areas of political arrests (47%) and the right to demonstrate (44%).
• But if Fatah sought to replace Fayyad with one of its own members, the largest percentage (48%) would oppose that while 43% would support it.
• If new presidential elections were held today, Abbas would receive the vote of 34% and Fayyad 19%.

Perhaps the biggest winner of the recent events is Turkey who emerges as the most popular regional country.

• In an open question about the regional country seen as the most supportive of the Palestinians and their cause, 43% mentioned Turkey while only 13% mentioned Egypt.
• A majority of 63% believe the Palestinian side is the one who came out the winner from the Free Gaza flotilla incident while 27% believe Israel came out the winner.
• Moreover, a majority of 60% believe that in the aftermath of the incident, the Gaza siege will be weakened or ended while only 18% believe it will be strengthened.

Findings also show that the decision to boycott settlement products is clearly supported by a majority of Palestinians. But the decision to prevent Palestinian laborers from working in Israeli settlements is rejected by the majority.

• While a majority of 72% support and 26% oppose a boycott of settlement products, only 38% support and 60% oppose preventing Palestinian laborers from working in settlements.

The sample size was 1270 adults interviewed face to face in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 127 randomly selected locations between 10 and 13 June 2010. The margin of error is 3%. The poll was conducted few days after the Israeli raid on the Free Gaza flotilla.

For further details on the Palestinian survey contact PSR director, Dr. Khalil Shikaki, or Walid Ladadweh at tel 02-296 4933 or email pcpsr@pcpsr.org. This survey was conducted with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Ramallah.