(NewsNation) — Most Palestinians do not have confidence in President Joe Biden’s ability to facilitate a fair peace treaty, according to a recent Gallup World poll survey conducted before the October 7 Hamas attacks.
84% of Palestinians expressed little to no trust in Biden, with 70% stating they had “no trust at all” in him.
In the period leading up to the October 7 attacks, approximately one in four Palestinians residing in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem expressed support for a two-state solution, where an independent Palestinian state coexists with Israel.
However, support for a two-state solution among Palestinians has decreased significantly since 2012, when nearly 59% endorsed the idea.
The two-state solution has historically been the foundational concept for peace mediation between both sides, dating back to the British government’s Peel Commission in 1937. More recently, the 1993 Oslo Accords and the 2002 Saudi-backed Arab Peace Initiative have aimed to establish conditions for Palestinian self-determination and outlined goals for two independent states.
According to the poll, among Palestinians aged 15 to 25, one in six expressed support for a two-state solution, compared to 34% of Palestinians aged 46 and older.
With a significant young population in the Palestinian Territories, where 69% are under 29, growing skepticism among youth raises concerns about the future amid diplomatic challenges.
81% of Palestinians believed that a permanent peace of any kind would not be achievable, including 84% of those living in the Gaza Strip. Only 13% of Palestinians retained hope that peace might one day be attainable, 75 years after the establishment of the Israeli state.
Israelis also expressed pessimism regarding the prospect of peace. In a 2017 Gallup survey, 30% of Israelis believed peace would be possible, while 57% thought it would not be achievable.