Rina Shnerb
Rina ShnerbCourtesy of the family

While the Trump administration hopes that it will be able to entice the Palestinian Authority into accepting its Middle East peace plan, dubbed the ‘Deal of the Century’, set to be released later this year, a new poll shows support for peace talks down in the Palestinian Authority – and support for terrorism up.

According to a poll released on the eve of Israel’s general election this week, 69% of Arabs in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza say the Palestinian Authority should reject the Trump administration’s peace plan, with just 19% saying the PA should accept it with reservations, and only 5% who say it should be accepted without reservation.

The poll was conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) between September 11th and the 14th, and surveyed 1,200 adults in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza in face-to-face interviews.

Support for the two-state solution generally is also down among Palestinian Authority residents, the poll found, with just 42% saying they would support it, compared to 56% who oppose the two-state solution. Three months ago, 47% of PA residents backed the two state solution.

Even fewer PA residents believe the two-state solution is viable, with 63% saying such an arrangement is not practical, compared to just 34% who believe it is practical.

When asked what the best path is for the PA vis-à-vis Israel, a plurality (37%) favored terrorism, or what pollsters called an “armed struggle against the Israeli occupation". Just 32% said they preferred a peace deal, while 10% said the best path is “waging non-violent resistance”. Seventeen percent said they prefer the status quo.

Three months ago, 34% backed terrorism as the best option, with 36% favoring a peace deal.

A far larger number of Palestinian Arabs say they approve of terror attacks against Israelis – including civilians – however.

A whopping 61% of Palestinian Arabs, including 49% of those in Judea and Samaria and 80% of Gazans, approved of the terrorist bombing attack on an Israeli family last month which left 17-year-old Rina Shnerb dead and her father and brother seriously injured.

The three had been hiking near a spring outside of the Israeli town of Dolev in Samaria when terrorists remotely detonated a three-kilogram bomb, killing Rina.

Just 33% of Arabs in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza said they opposed the bombing attack.

The overwhelming majority of Palestinian Arabs say they support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel, while just 15% oppose it. Fifty-two percent say they personally boycott all non-essential products from Israel.