Poll: Three-Quarters of Palestinians Want Mahmoud Abbas to Resign

Nearly three-quarters of Palestinians (73 percent) want Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to step down, a new poll has shown.

The poll, conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR), also showed that if presidential elections were held today, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh would defeat Abbas. If only the two were running, Haniyeh would receive 54 percent of the votes, and Abbas 38 percent.

However, neither Hamas nor the ruling Fatah faction under Abbas are deserving of representing and leading the Palestinian people, according to 33 percent of those polled. said that neither side deserves such a role, 31 percent believe that Hamas fared slightly better (31 percent) than Fatah (29 percent).

Instead, Marwan Barghouti, a convicted terrorist serving five life sentences for orchestrating attacks during the Second Intifada, would be the clear winner, receiving 59 percent of the vote while Haniyeh would come in second at 37 percent.

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A total of 84 percent consider Palestinian Authority institutions to be corrupt, while 69 percent said the same of Hamas institutions in the Gaza Strip.

Some 68 percent believe that the likelihood of a Palestinian state alongside Israel in the next five years is slim to non-existent while 30 percent said the chances are medium to high.

Asked to choose the most effective means of “ending the Israeli occupation and building an independent state,” the public split into three groups: 44 percent chose “armed struggle,” 25 percent negotiations and 24 percent “popular resistance.”

Additionally, 70 percent oppose an resuming Palestinian-Israeli negotiations unconditionally. 64 percent oppose dialogue with the U.S. under President Joe Biden.

The poll, conducted from March 16-20, surveyed 1,200 Palestinians and has a three percent margin of error.