Poll: 53% of Palestinians oppose rocket fire

Most of the Palestinians oppose ongoing rocket fire on southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, according to a poll published Wednesday by the al-Najah University in Nablus.

The survey, which included 860 Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza, revealed that 53% of the respondents are against the rocket fire, as opposed to 44% who believe it should continue.

Seventy percent of the Palestinians believe that the Qassam fire should be stopped in exchange for the end of the Israeli-imposed blockade on the Strip, while 25.4% are against this.

Forty-three percent are of the opinion that the rocket fire is hurting Palestinian interest, compared to 34% who believe the opposite.

About 51% of the respondents believe that if Hamas goes back on its takeover of the Strip, the Israeli siege on Gaza will be lifted, while 40% say that this will not help as well.

Fifty-three percent expressed their support of Hamas' breach of the Gaza-Egypt border, while 43% opposed the act.

As for the control of the Strip's crossings, a vast majority, 74%, is in favor of handing over the control to the Palestinian Authority, while 19% are against it.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has been accused by Hamas of aiding the blockade imposed on Gaza, should be concerned by this figure: Forty-six percent of the respondents believe that the PA's stance regarding the siege is negative. A similar percentage sees it as a positive stance.

Only 24% of the poll participants welcomed US President George W. Bush's visit to the PA earlier this month, while 71% opposed the visit. More than 80% do not believe that Bush will keep his promise to help establish a Palestinian state, and 65% of the respondents are of the opinion that the American president's visit has only worsened the intra-Palestinian conflict.