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Palestinians pessimistic about peace with Israel: poll

04 November 2013 17:46 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Most Palestinians are pessimistic about their U.S.-sponsored direct peace negotiations with Israel, which restarted in late July after being stalled for more than two years, a recent poll showed, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The poll, conducted by Ramallah-based Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD), found 54 percent of the respondents skeptical about the success of the talks. However, these pessimistic respondents supported the holding of the negotiations, while 42 percent of the surveyed opposed the talks.

Palestinian and Israeli negotiators will hold another round of talks soon amid tensions following Israel's plans to build more new homes in the settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, lands that Israel captured in a 1967 war.

Meanwhile, the poll showed that residents in the West Bank, controlled by the Palestinian National Authority, are more optimistic about the talks than their counterparts in the blockaded Gaza Strip ruled by the Islamic Hamas movement.

Also, around 60 percent of the surveyed expected a third Palestinian Intifada, or Uprising against Israel, to take place while 32 percent said they don't expect it to happen and 8 percent said they don't know.

The poll was carried out on Oct. 20-22 with the participation of 1,200 respondents of both genders from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.