Public Opinion Survey on Corruption and Anti-Corruption in Palestine

- The Coalition for Integrity and Accountability (AMAN) carried out a Palestinian public opinion survey through the Qiyas Center for Polls and Survey Studies in both the West Bank (including Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip, during the period between 8 to 17/ 2020, with the aim of monitoring changes in people’s impressions and awareness regarding the reality of corruption, in an analytical report by the Coalition for Integrity and Accountability (AMAN) team that reached 16 pages...

- The sample size selected for the survey was 1,320 individuals, aged 18 years and over, of whom 792 individuals were from the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and 528 individuals in the Gaza Strip, with a margin of error (– or + 3%). The interviews were conducted face-to-face, and in homes...!

- The main problems appeared in people’s impressions of the priorities to be solved: the “economic issues” ranked first among these priorities at 26%, followed by the issue of “the spread of corruption” at 25%. The “occupation problem” ranked third in terms of priority to solve it, at 21%...!! The “division problem” ranked fourth in the priority order to be solved, at 14%..!! (According to people’s impressions as presented in the survey from the selected sample).

· (And I comment)... the appearance of “economic issues” and “corruption issues” as the first and second priorities for people, and their concern (according to the analysis of the opinions of citizens in the selected sample), to end such issues, ahead of the priorities of the “occupation issue” and the “division issue”, and the low priority given to them, is an indicator that people’s attention is focused on economic issues, which shows the extent of their material deprivation.. and their anger at corruption.. and, indirectly, the existence of high unemployment, the lack of available jobs.. and the occurrence of layoffs in one way or another...!

· That the priority of the occupation issue declined to third place in urgency to resolve it is a dangerous indicator of the general situation of people in Palestine, as it will appear to experts in the West and to the occupation that an economic peace is suitable to propose in this economically suffocating atmosphere for Palestinians...! due to the change in people’s aspirations in Palestine... and this is a sensitive matter, especially since the issue of corruption was ranked second in the necessity of its resolution for the public...!.

· Nevertheless, I believe that if a Palestinian has an urgent material need in his home and there is an Israeli occupation soldier at that Palestinian’s doorstep, I affirm that this Palestinian will tighten his belt... and the belts of his family members! and will attend to dealing with this occupier who stands at the door threatening... either to demolish the house, or to arrest its owner, or a member of his family....! I do not believe that the priority of the material need will precede the priority of solving the occupation problem... because it is a problem of existence.!.. despite the impact of hunger, poverty, and the need for security on any human being’s priorities in this world (according to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs)..!

· This does not necessarily mean that I do not trust public opinion surveys, if they are taken from a large representative sample of citizens.. and without any bias.. or tampering with the results, and implemented by professional civil institutions at an international level, such as the “Coalition for Integrity and Accountability (AMAN).”!

- The public opinion survey says that the worsening of the financial crisis is attributable to the arbitrary measures of the Israeli occupation against citizens in the Gaza Strip and the stoppage of the transfer of Palestinian funds (clearance revenues) to the Palestinian government, which weakened the government’s ability to confront economic burdens... so it was forced to pay half salaries... in the second half of 2020. In addition to the economic effects of the Corona pandemic, which require broad economic sectors and harmed workers in the local market...

- Corruption appeared as one of the four most prominent challenges facing Palestinian society for 2020, constituting 30% as a primary problem in the view of people in the West Bank (including Jerusalem), while among people in the Gaza Strip it appeared as the fourth-ranked problem at 17%... ! Whereas the division problem appeared in the Gaza Strip as the first-ranked problem at 23%, while in the West Bank the percentage was low, ranking fourth at only 8%..

- It also appeared that 58% of citizens see the level of corruption in the institutions of the Palestinian National Authority as still large (72% in the West Bank, and 37% in the Gaza Strip). And 57% of citizens believe that governmental institutions are the most exposed to the spread of corruption. The most corrupt ministries were, respectively: the Ministry of Finance 19%, first place; the Ministry of Interior 16%; the Ministry of Health 13%; 6% each for the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs... (according to the public opinion surveys of the selected sample)...

- The forms of corruption were distributed to include: wasta, favoritism, embezzlement of public funds, abuse of power, bribery, the crime of laundering public funds, and trading in influence, as the most widespread forms of corruption.!

- More than 85% of citizens also believe that the role of the Palestinian media remains weak or of average effectiveness in exposing corruption cases.

- Citizens still refrain from reporting corruption out of fear of retaliation, due to the lack of protection for reporting citizens and witnesses, the lack of sufficient awareness of the meaning and forms of corruption, and the lack of usefulness of reporting (according to the perception of the surveyed sample) ...!

· It is a striking report, worthy of addressing its facts and the indicators contained therein, especially the issues of corruption, since those who commit corruption are a few dozens of individuals, while those affected by its dire consequences are an entire nation...! including the government... and the people...!

· Date: 10-2-2021