Half of Palestinians still want a two-state solution

As the UN controversially marked Nakba Day, a new poll found 51% of Palestinians favour two states while just under a quarter are willing to live under Israeli rule. 

A two-state solution is the most popular resolution to the conflict among Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, with just over half favouring this option, according to the poll.

Of the other options, 24% are willing to live under Israeli rule: 13% favouring full integration into Israel where Palestinians become Israel citizens and 11% preferrring to live under full Israeli occupation where they are neither Israeli citizens nor ruled by a Palestinian authority.

Another 21% prefer a federal state, an option which was not defined by the researchers.

The least favoured option was integrating Gaza into Egypt and the West Bank into Jordan, with citizens acquiring passports of each country.

The poll, conducted by Arab News and the UK-based data group YouGov, surveyed a weighted sample of 958 Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank.

But the data shows that nearly two-thirds of Palestinians (64%) express their unreadiness to compromise over Jerusalem.

 “It is not clear anymore what a two-state solution means? Would it be a proper sovereign state of Palestine based on 1967 lines with Jerusalem as a capital?”  Chris Doyle, the director of the London-based Council for Arab British Understanding, told Arab News. 

Nakba Day

The report was released on Monday which was commemorated by Palestinians as Nakba Day. The day was marked for the first time by the United Nations.