Washington - The U.S. Institute of Peace has published a new report exploring Palestinian public opinion and the future of the Arab-Israeli peace process, titled Willing to Compromise. The report, written by Khalil Shikaki, analyzes survey data from more than 100 polls conducted over the past eleven years to identify long-term trends in Palestinian public opinion concerning the peace process, the use of violence against Israelis, and the Palestinian Authority, and makes policy recommendations based on the findings.

“The time is ripe for a permanent-status agreement,” writes Shikaki. Palestinian optimism about the peace process has risen in the post-Arafat era, and public willingness to compromise is greater than at any time since the start of the peace process. However, public opinion is not stable and is subject to threat perception, misperception of Israeli views, how leaders frame the debate, and the level of optimism about finding a diplomatic solution.

The report also emphasizes the interdependence of Palestinian state building and peacemaking. A lack of good governance on the part of the Palestinian Authority has led to a decrease in its ability to advance the peace process as well as a rise in the popularity of Hamas at the expense of Fateh, the report finds.

This report is part of the Institute’s Project on Arab-Israeli Futures. The first report in the series, The Future of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Critical Trends Affecting Israel by Yossi Alpher, was published in September 2005 and is available on the Institute’s Web site. The views expressed in the report do not necessarily reflect the views of the Institute, which does not advocate specific policy positions.

About the Author: Khalil Shikaki is one of the foremost authorities on Palestinian public opinion and Palestinian national politics. The director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah, Shikaki has served as a senior consultant to the Independent Task Force on Strengthening Palestinian Public Institutions and has written numerous essays in leading publications around the world.

The full report "Willing to Compromise: Palestinian Public Opinion and the Peace Process" is available online.

About the Project on Arab-Israeli Futures:
The project is a research effort designed to anticipate and assess obstacles and opportunities facing the peace process in the years ahead. Stepping back from the day-to-day ebb and flow of events on the ground, this project examines deeper, over the horizon trends that could foreclose future options or offer new openings for peace. The effort brings together American, Israeli, and Arab researchers and is directed by Scott Lasensky, a senior research associate at the Institute.