"Presentation of the results of a survey on the trends of the Palestinian street in mechanisms dealing with conflicts"

The results of a poll conducted by Ta'awon  for conflict resolutoin on "attitudes of the Palestinian street in the mechanisms of dealing with conflicts" showed that 37.1% are seeking direct dialogue with the opposition, while 25.2% decide to withdraw and not to confront. While 23.3% of the respondents prefered the courts and police services.

The results of the study, which included the West Bank and Jerusalem (city, village, camp), showed that 8.6% were seeking tribal reform and 5.6% were using force.

"The figures show that the use of force is one of the most important options available to society, as well as resorting to the judiciary and tribal reform," said Hani Smirat, director of the Alternative Unit. 

The researcher Dr. Omar Rahal of  Shams Center for Human Rights commented that the results of the survey should be taken into consideration because of their positive repercussions on the civil peace and cohesion in our country. Especially the fact that 6% preferred  force in resolving the conflict and it is a frightening number. Rahal explained that the gap between the citizen and the judiciary has grown over time, for several reasons, the most significant of which is the judicial strangulation and the number of judges who number no more than 200 judges in the West Bank, stressing the need to rebuild confidence and conduct a real dialogue between the Judicial Council and civil society institutions so that the judiciary is effective and persuasive .

The study, based on statistics from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and the police reports for 2017, shows that there has been a growth of 9% in the number of disputes in the West Bank over the three years (2015, 2016, 2017). 32,500 cases involving murder, rape, assault and possession of weapons.

Smirat  said that economic issues are among the most important issues that contribute to increasing violence within society. 

The legal adviser in the Ministry of Justice Tawfiq Haraz Allah assured on the importance of the results and timing, which showed the tendencies of the street to negotiate instead of violence. While lawyer Mohammed Abu Rumaila assured the need to differentiate between tribal reform, which is in power and the tribal judiciary.

Regards to the judiciary, Smirat said that the issue of the length of proceedings in the litigation process is one of the main drawbacks to the judicial system or the so-called "judicial overcrowding" and the resulting financial burden on the parties to the conflict. The results of the study showed that there were 197 judges in the West Bank with a rate of 6 judges per 100 thousand people, while the number of cases considered by the judge annually in the courts, such as the Magistrate's Court, 1239 cases, an average of 103 cases per month.


Taawon recommended the need to develop a map of the main causes of community disputes and to open other options to the adversaries other than traditional means such as the judiciary and tribal reform, assuring the need to re-read the tribal reform system in terms of effectiveness, decisions and results.

For more details please check the link below: 

http://www.wattan.tv/ar/video/275917.html