What Do Palestinians Want?

in which I share the results of a survey of Palestinians conducted in May 2025 and my thoughts on what the aftermath of the 7/10 pogrom tells us about Palestinian society

Note: My source for this article is a survey conducted in May 2025, it’s the most recent survey conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research.

From the survey document: To ensure the safety of our data collectors in the Gaza Strip, interviews were conducted with residents in areas that did not witness armed clashes and whose residents have not been displaced or returned after being displaced, especially after the recent ceasefire during the first three months of this year. This poll covers all of the above issues as well as other issues such as domestic condition and the internal balance of power, the peace process and the alternatives available to the Palestinians in light of the current stalemate in that process.

This survey was conducted face-to-face in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip using tablets or phones. When each interview is completed, it is automatically sent directly to our server where only our researchers can access. There is no way for anyone to intercept or manipulate the collected data.

The sample size of this survey was 1270 people, of whom 830 were interviewed face-to-face in the West Bank (in 83 residential locations) and 440 in the Gaza Strip (in 44 locations). The margin of error stands at +/-3.5%.

— Dr. Khalil Shikaki, PCPSR | Methodology

Important Takeaways for Westerners

1. Palestinians won’t vote in elections

2. Palestinians are largely undecided about which party or faction to support

3. Palestinians don’t want Hamas to leave the Gaza strip or disarm

4. Palestinians continue to believe in armed struggle, they don’t put much stock in anti Hamas demonstrations

5. Palestinians think these are externally driven more than a sign of an uprising of Palestinians

6. Palestinians don’t believe that Hamas committed atrocities against Israelis on October 7

7. Palestinian support for the atrocities continues to decline

8. Palestinians don’t believe in or support peaceful resistance

9. Palestinians want their cake and eat it too—they want to stay armed and continue armed resistance and they don’t want to vote or think about stable leadership to lead them or building structures and systems to improve their conditions and bring peace and freedom for a better future and they want statehood alongside Israel

Breakdown of Results

Regarding October 7th, the war in Gaza, and the humanitarian crisis

Palestinians blame Israel and the USA for their suffering (food shortages and death of family members) more than they blame Hamas

Palestinian support for Hamas atrocities on committed against civilians on Oct 7/23 has declined.

however, it’s important to note the following, “when asked if Hamas had committed the atrocities seen in the videos shown by international media displaying acts or atrocities committed by Hamas members against Israeli civilians. such as killing women and children in their homes. The overwhelming majority (87%) said it did not commit such atrocities, and only 9% said it did.”

Half of Palestinians believe the October 7th massacre was the correct action to take, 60% of WBers, 37% of Gazans¹

Palestinians believe a ceasefire will be soon and Hamas will be victorious

Palestinians expect Hamas to remain in control, some are in favour of the PA having control, few are in agreement with an Arab security force to help the PA

Most Gazans think the anti Hamas demonstration are driven by outside forces:

“48% of Gazans compared to only 14% in the West Bank say they support the demonstrations that took place over the past two months in the Gaza Strip demanding that Hamas abandon control over that Strip while some demanded the departure of some of its military leaders out of Gaza. Support for these demonstrations stands at 28% in the combined West Bank and the Gaza Strip while 67% say they oppose them. Opposition to demonstrations stands at 77% in the West Bank but only 50% in the Gaza Strip.”

“Even though almost half of the residents of the Gaza Strip support these demonstrations, 54% of them believe that these demonstrations are motivated by external hands and 20% believe that they are both, i.e. that they express a genuine opinion of the residents and are at the same time motivated by external forces.”

Palestinians don’t believe that Israel will end the war and withdraw from Gaza if Hamas returns the hostages and agrees to disarm; total of 73%, 82% of WBers and 60% of Gazans disagree that war will end if Hamas releases hostages

Regarding support for Hamas

A majority of Palestinians opposes Hamas disarmament and the departure of its militant leadership from Gaza; 85% WBers, 64% Gazans oppose disarmament of Hamas

Many Palestinians don’t want to leave the Gaza Strip (per Trump and Israel proposals) and half want to apply to Israel to help them emigrate to other countries via Israeli ports, Palestinians are split on the issue of leaving and on whether Egypt and Jordan would bowing to US pressure to accept Palestinians.

Hamas receives the highest approval rating amongst Palestinians for performance during the war, followed by PA, though Hamas support is dropping. Support for Yemen and Houthis comes in second, followed by Qatar, and Hezbollah, Palestinians viewed Iran negatively. Amongst international players, China and Russia have high approval ratings amongst Palestinians and US has a low approval rating

Regarding the political future for Palestinians

When asked what should the PA do now most Palestinians chose the option: “formation of a national unity government to negotiate with Israel and the international community to end the war and rebuild the Gaza Strip in the future”

Many Palestinians fear the spread of the war in Gaza to Judea Samaria (J/S) aka “West Bank” most say they would stay and they would refuse to go to Jordan

Support for Hamas remains higher amongst Palestinians than for Fatah, though it’s dropping; support for Hamas remains higher in J/S than in Gaza

Marwan Barghouti has 50% support amongst Palestinians as a presidential candidate, though most would choose not to vote, and many remain undecided

81% of Palestinians want Abbas to resign

Palestinians do not believe Mohammed Mustafa will achieve reforms, Gazans are more optimistic than West Bankers

*Most Palestinians reported they won’t vote and that they’re politically undecided*

40% of Palestinians support 2SS, 60% support a Palestinian state not tied to 2SS, still a majority support 2SS with 1967 borders over a confederation or one state

Only 23% of Palestinians say they have heard and 72% say they have not heard about the “Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution” launched by Saudi Arabia with Arab and international cooperation

Regarding perceptions of an Israeli occupation

40% of Palestinians support armed struggle, 33% support negotiations, 20% support peaceful resistance to “end the Israeli occupation”

Regarding “Israeli intentions behind destroying homes in some refugee camps in the northern West Bank and the displacement of the residents of these camps,”

1. 44% of Palestinians believe that Israel’s aspiration is to eliminate armed groups, destroy refugee camps, and expel their residents to Jordan

2. 35% of Palestinians believe it is to eliminate armed groups and eliminate the West Bank refugee camps as Israel does in the Gaza Strip

3. 18% of Palestinians believe it is just to eliminate armed groups in the northern West Bank

When asked about the most effective means to confront settler terrorism

1. relying on the Israeli army to prevent such attacks— 23% of Palestinians agreed with this option

2. deploying Palestinian police forces in areas subject to attack—27% of Palestinians support this option,

3. forming armed groups from the residents of those areas—37% of Palestinians support this option

4. forming unarmed groups from those areas—12% of Palestinians support this option

75% of Palestinians believe the Israeli army supports settler attacks, 93% of Palestinians say Palestinian security forces do not enter these areas during or after settler attacks

Most important goals for Palestinians

41% — end Israeli occupation in the areas occupied in 1967 and build a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital

33% — obtain the right of return of refugees to their 1948 towns and villages

13% — to build a pious or moral individual and a religious society, one that applies all Islamic teachings

12% — establish a democratic political system that respects freedoms and rights of Palestinians

Most pressing concerns for Palestinians

• 43% (57% in the Gaza Strip and 34% in the West Bank) — the continued war in the Gaza Strip

• 30% — the Israeli occupation

• 9% said it is corruption

• 6% — is unemployment

• 9% — the split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Note: Seven months ago, 38% said it is the continued war in the Gaza Strip; and 30% said it is the Israeli occupation.

A question readers to reflect upon

Why didn’t any Palestinians help to find and save and rescue hostages? Gaza is 25 miles long and 3 to 7 miles wide, with a population of 2.1 Million people And not ONE PERSON IN GAZA HELPED TO FIND THE HOSTAGES.

Compare with Nazi-occupied Europe, where many Gentiles did risk their lives to hide Jews and form a resistance against the Nazis. In fact, there’s a story of a Franciscan priest named Maximilian Maria Kolbe who volunteered to die the place of a Jewish man named Franciszek Gajowniczek in Auschwitz.

There’s also the story of a Christian woman named Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch clockmaker who hid Jews from the Nazis in her home. She was caught and sent to Ravensbrück Concentration Camp. You can read about her story in a book and wrote, called The Hiding Place.

Then there’s Oscar Schindler, whom Spielberg made famous in a movie, based on a book called Schindler’s List. There are other European Gentiles who risked everything to help Jews escape the brutality of the Nazis. Palestinians could learn from that history. As you can see from the survey, a minority believe in peaceful resistance, most Palestinians have chosen violence and they’ve chosen retribution.

Where are the peaceful Palestinian resistance people to help hostages in Gaza? There’s none. Does their G-d and faith not require them to behave humanely and compassionately towards their fellow humans? Apparently not. Furthermore, hostage survivors report being help in private residences in Gaza and being mistreated. Eli Sharabi wrote a book, I recommend everyone read it.

You see, reader, it’s a choice Palestinians made and make to hate Jews. Don’t make excuses for them, that’s undermining them and enabling their dysfunction. Western useful idiots need to face the fact of raging and rabid hatred embedded in Palestinianism. The problem is western useful idiots also hate Jews and the Wokifada has adopted an ethic in which they justify violence for groups of humans they’ve infantalised.

What’s the conclusion? It’s that antisemitism obstructs peace. Also, it’s that we learn the history of the Holocaust to humble ourselves and become better humans and to make our society and community better.

Ultimately our lives become the choices we make. We sew the garden of our life through the things we hold in our heart. If we hold hatred, then we will get a life based on that choice. It’s profoundly simple. If you are a Jesus follower then you know what He said to Peter about violence in Gethsemane, your support for the Palestinian people must happen through that lens.

And we wait with bated breath for the hostages to return home.

Supplement information

A NYT article about the premeditation of the 7/10 pogrom.

Yesterday Palestinian sources shared the following video showing Hamas gangsters attacking Gazans:

Caption: “Hamas is deploying militia & governmental forces throughout the Gaza Strip, shooting, executing, and torturing opponents, clans & perceived threats to ensure the terror organization fully restores dominion over the population.”

Here’s a video from 10 months ago, with Einat Wilf speaking about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, “Hamas does represent Palestinians”, she says.

1. It’s fair to conclude those who think it was an incorrect action to take only think that because of the destruction and hardship it brought them, not because they think pogroms and torture and violence against Israelis is wrong. Westerners, don’t forget that.