Poll: 28% of Palestinians back idea of joint state with Jordan

A opinion poll conducted by A-Najah University in the West Bank city of Nablus has found that support for Hamas has slipped markedly since elections were held in the West Bank and Gaza in 2006, and that a substantial segment of the Arabs in the territories support the idea of the establishment of a joint Palestinian-Jordanian state, Army Radio reported Tuesday.

The survey found that 36 percent of Palestinians support Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, versus 14.4 percent who back Hamas. A total of 30.8 percent expressed no preference between the two organizations, and just 2.1 percent expressed support for the Islamic Jihad.

Respondents also voiced strong support for the temporary cease-fire or hudna between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, with 71.5 percent saying they were for it.

Perhaps the most striking finding was that 27.6 percent of respondents said they supported calling for the formation of a joint Jordanian-Palestinian state.

More than half, 50.7 percent, said that they favored continuation of the present framework of the Palestinian Authority's peace negotiations with Israel, and without any change in Palestinian demands.

At the same time, fully 41.7 percent said they believed the present Palestinian Authority should be dismantled.

The survey of Palestinians aged 18 and over and eligible to vote, was conducted between the 18th and 20th of September. A total of 1,380 Palestinians took part, 860 in the West Bank and 500 in the Gaza Strip.