National Reconciliation for Palestine?

Palestinians are looking for alternative leadership

26 June 2007

By Khalil Al Assali

Ramallah: A majority of Palestinians do not trust their current leadership, according to various public as well as confidential opinion poll results.

The polls also revealed that the mistrust was not just limited to one particular group or Islamists, but all the political parties. The opinion polls were conducted by various Palestinian institutes, centres and companies.

Gulf News spoke to several officials and companies who conducted such polls and the general opinion that came out was the suggestion for an alternative leadership.

Palestinians are seeking an alternative leadership, said Dr Nabeel Al Kawkali, Chairman of one of the polls centre in Bethlehem.

The idea of finding unity with Jordan in order to escape the current crisis is not a taboo anymore for the Palestinians, Dr Al Kawkali said.

The Centre of Polls and Survey Studies at Al Najah University carried out the last poll that was limited to the West Bank.

This survey revealed that more than 31 per cent of Palestinians do not belong to any party whereas 36 per cent belong to the Fatah movement and only 14 per cent to Hamas.

Word of caution

The well-known political analyst, Hani Al Masri, considered this to be "a clear message to the leadership that the Palestinian people are tired of everything and that they are seeking a new leadership.

Therefore, the leadership must be careful otherwise other extremist groups might fill the void."

There is a "deep gap between the Palestinian parties and the Palestinian people," Al Masri who is based in Ramallah told Gulf News.

Another poll carried out by Dr Khalil Al Shaqaqi of the Palestinian Centre for Political and Survey Researches showed that the Palestinian populace had different opinions about the alternative leadership like dismantling the Palestinian National Authority and replacing it with an international guardianship or establishing a confederation with Jordan.

More than 41 per cent supported the idea of dismantling the Palestinian National Authority while more than 42 per cent supported the confederation with Jordan.

And among the ones who supported the latter, the percentages are distributed between those who want the confederation with Jordan now (25 per cent) and those who want it after a Palestinian state is established (only 17 per cent).

Al Masri told the Gulf News that this possibility is now strongly being considered in private talks and in the Palestinian streets than ever before.