More Palestinians in the West Bank believe Israel does not have a right to exist (46%) than those who believe it does (41%), according to a new poll published by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) on Tuesday.
The survey, which interviewed 400 Palestinians by telephone between June 27 and July 2, 2026, with a margin of error of 4.9%, also found that 42% believed it was possible to bring about the end of Israel’s existence, while only 32% said it was impossible.
More than a quarter (27%) favored a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while 22% supported a single binational state with full equal rights, and 26% preferred a single Palestinian state without Jewish presence. Only 17% said they would like to see a Palestinian state that permitted Jews as residents or citizens.
Despite a significant portion of Palestinians not recognizing Israel’s right to exist, more than half (52%) said they would prefer negotiations as a way to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while only 12% said they preferred armed resistance.
Over half of respondents say diplomatic efforts more fruitful than violence
Additionally, 57% were of the opinion that violence had failed and that international diplomatic efforts were more fruitful.
Given that more than half (57%) of the Palestinians polled said they believed violence had failed and that international diplomatic efforts were more fruitful, it makes sense that 40% of those polled said Hamas should disarm and the majority preferred for Hamas not to govern the Gaza Strip.
The most popular choice for the administration of the Gaza Strip is the current US-backed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, which was selected by 32% of respondents. An additional 21% favored the Palestinian Authority, while 21% favored a Fatah-Hamas unity government, and only 5% chose Hamas as the preferred sole authority.
Marwan Barghouti preferred replacement of Mahmoud Abbas
Asked about who they thought should replace PA President Mahmoud Abbas, imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti was preferred by 34% of those polled, followed by Abbas’s deputy, Hussein al-Sheikh, who received support from just 8% of the respondents.
Unemployment was the greatest concern among 97% of those polled, while 96% also identified settler violence as a major issue. 14% reported that they had been a direct victim of settler attacks, 22% said they heard first-hand testimony from someone they knew who had experienced harm, and 33% said they were exposed to cases of settler violence through the media and social networks.
The majority, 91%, also expressed concern regarding IDF operations in the West Bank, while 60% said they had a low or very low sense of personal security.