The majority of Palestinians back the decision to renew peace talks with Israel and oppose armed struggle, but few expect the negotiations to succeed, according to a poll published on Thursday. The survey by the Jerusalem Media and Communications Centre (JMCC) found that 54.3 percent of Palestinians believe that the decision to relaunch talks on September 2 "serves the interests of the Palestinian people," with 34 percent saying it was harmful to them.
According to AFP, the same poll indicated that 59.4 percent of Palestinians oppose "military operations against Israeli targets," with 30.3 percent supporting them. Pessimism about the peace process remains, however, high, with 55.7 percent saying there will not be a "significant change in the status quo" as a result of the talks and 38.3 percent saying there would be.
The poll surveyed 1,200 adults from across the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip on September 11-15, with a margin of error of three percent.
