Palestinians prefer binational state with Jordan if no statehood possible

Citizens from multiple countries were asked about Israel as a Jewish state, the US elections and a future Palestinian state.

By CODY LEVINE
PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat (right) shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (left), as U.S. President Bill Clinton stands between them, after the signing of the Israeli-PLO peace accord, at the White House in Washington, on September 13, 1993 (photo credit: GARY HERSHORN/REUTERS)
PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat (right) shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (left), as U.S. President Bill Clinton stands between them, after the signing of the Israeli-PLO peace accord, at the White House in Washington, on September 13, 1993
(photo credit: GARY HERSHORN/REUTERS)
A new extensive multi-country survey released by the German think-tank Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Wednesday assessed attitudes from multiple countries on a wide arrange of topics related to the Middle East, Abraham Accords and Israeli-Palestinian relations, which was covered in part here.  
Citizens from multiple countries participated in the survey, hailing from Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Morocco, United States and Germany,  focusing numerous topics such as Israel's status as a Jewish state, a future Palestinian state and views on the US election.
On the question of a future Palestinian state, a clear majority of citizens of the UAE (81%), Bahrain (72%), Palestinian Authority (84%), Saudi Arabia (88%), Morocco (90%) and Qatar (85%) support the creation of such state, in contrast to a plurality of Germans (47%) and Americans (45%) who support the idea. Likewise, a majority of Israelis (58%) said they are opposed to the creation of the Palestinian state, while 35% support the idea.
Under the assumption that a Palestinian state is not possible, respondents were asked alternative options. A plurality of respondents in Bahrain (50%), Palestinian Authority (47%), Saudi Arabia (37%), Morocco (47%), Germany (42%) and the US (44%) said they are unsure. Interestingly, the second most preferred option among the Palestinians, Moroccans, Qataris and Saudis was a binational Palestinian-Jordan state, while the second most preferred for Germans was an Israeli-Palestinian federation. For citizens of the UAE, the most preferred option was an Israeli-Palestinian federation.
Among Israelis, the same question was posed. A slim plurality of Israelis (26%) said they would prefer a Palestinian-Jordanian binational state, followed by Palestinian remaining under Israeli rule, without being given citizenship (24%), the same amount of whom said they are unsure, an Israeli-Palestinian binational state (17%) and Israeli-Palestinian federation (9%).
A question of importance to Israelis, survey respondents were asked whether Israel has the "right to exist," and the "right to exist" as the "Nation-State of the Jewish people." As expected, a vast of majority of Israelis (81%), in addition to Emiratis (61%), Americans (69%) and a plurality of Germans (46%) agreed that Israel has the "right to exist" as the "Nation-State of the Jewish people." A plurality of Bahrainis asked said they are unsure, while the vast majority of Palestinians (76%), Saudis (63%) and Moroccans (61%) disagreed that Israel has the "right to exist" as the "Nation-State of the Jewish people." A plurality of Qataris also disagreed.
When rephrased as simply a "right to exist," the results remain largely unchanged, with clear majorities in the UAE, US and Germany agreeing, and the majority of citizens of the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Qatar disagreeing, with a slight rise in support in each country in favor of Israel's "right to exist."
Respondents were also asked about the US Embassy move to Jerusalem and its relation to peace in the Middle East. Among Israelis, a plurality (44%) indicated that the move improves the chances of peace, while 33% said they believe it diminishes it. Interestingly, a majority of Emiratis (52% vs. 33%) and a plurality of Americans (46% vs. 28%) also believe the move improved the chances of peace in the region. On the other hand, a majority of Palestinians (60%), Saudis (53%) and Moroccans (54%), in addition to a plurality of Germans (41%) and Qataris (42%), say the embassy move diminished the chance of regional peace.
Lastly, respondents were asked (prior to the US election on November 3) their views on US President Donald Trump and then-Democratic challenger (now President-elect) Joe Biden.  In terms of favorability, besides Israelis who favored Trump against Biden (58% vs. 41%), all other countries surveyed had a more favorable opinion of Joe Biden, with 69% vs. 51% of Emiratis, 37% vs. 28% of Bahrainis,  28% vs. 15% of Palestinians, 42% vs. 38% of Saudis, 45% vs. 19% of Moroccans, 62% vs. 38% of Qataris and 49% vs. 15% of Germans favoring Biden.
When asked which candidate would have been more successful in the Middle East in relation to peace and stability, a clear plurality of Israelis (47% vs. 19%) say Trump is the better choice, which is contrast to all other countries featured in the survey with a plurality of Emiratis (47%), Bahrainis (25%), Palestinian Authority (27%), Moroccans (37%), in addition to a majority of Qataris (56%) and Germans (54%), saying that Biden is the better option.


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