PCPSR Poll – Is it really 9%?

Is it really true that only 9% of Palestinians accept that Hamas committed atrocities against civilians, as reported and broadcast live on October 7? This is a result of a new poll carried out by a Palestinian NGO. Either way, it is shocking and dismaying.

A poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR), a Ramallah-based nonprofit, from May 1–4, 2025 (Poll no. 95, Page 6), in the West Bank and Gaza, reveals a striking perspective on the events of October 7.

When asked whether Hamas committed atrocities against Israeli civilians—such as killing women and children in their homes, as documented in videos shown by international media—87% of the 1,200 respondents said Hamas did not commit such acts, while only 9% acknowledged that it did. The poll, with a margin of error of ±3%, highlights a significant perceptual divide that poses a fundamental issue for those seeking to resolve the conflict.

If you don’t believe me, you can read it for yourself on Page 6 of the report: https://www.pcpsr.org/en/node/997.

The PCPSR poll notes that the majority of respondents (90%) reported that they had not seen these videos. Of the 10% who had seen them, 44% acknowledged the atrocities, compared to just 3% of those who hadn’t.

Two questions swirl in my mind, and they are quite different from each other:

1. Is this truly reflective of the sentiment in the West Bank and Gaza? What does it mean?
2. Are we all guilty of similar denial? Is this genuinely abnormal, or is it indicative of human behavior?

I will consider the questions in reverse order.

Is Denial a Normal Behavior?

We all have conscious and subconscious biases—including me. Whether on religious, political, environmental, or personal topics, we are all biased. This is true for most issues, and studies suggest that bias is not necessarily tied to one’s level of education. For generations, topics such as the cause of AIDS, climate change, the shape of the Earth, or the health benefits of chocolate have been influenced by cultural, religious, and other behavioral factors, and this is well documented.

As a religious Jew who believes in God, I naturally hold beliefs that others may not, and vice versa.

Entire societies have repeatedly become entangled in patently false or harmful ideologies and passionately believed in them.

So yes, like all of us, denial and a range of factors ensure that truth is not always accepted—and sometimes is actively denied, often subconsciously.

I will go further. The media we choose to follow deliberately shapes our version of the truth—for me and everyone else. Whether I choose to watch Channel 11, 12, 13, or 14 in Israel, or CNN or Fox News in the US, it feeds into the narrative I wish to pursue and believe.

But 9%?

But, even accounting for all of the above and considering all biases, is it really true that only 9% of those polled in the Palestinian Territories believe that Hamas committed atrocities against civilians?

Conspiracy theories are usually followed by minority groups and populations. Let’s take Holocaust denial as an example. A survey by the Anti-Defamation League (see chart below, Creative Commons copyright license) shows that globally, 4% of people believe the Holocaust to be a myth—10% in the Middle East.

By comparison to that statistic, I find it very hard to believe that 87% of Palestinians genuinely believe Hamas didn’t commit atrocities against civilians.

My heart and head also tell me that it surely can’t be true. With the celebrations and claims of responsibility by Hamas themselves, and the parading of hostages—including the coffins of babies like Kfir Bibas—can such denial exist?

The answer, truthfully, is that I do not know, but deep down, I can’t reconcile it.

Either way, the statistic is truly alarming for anyone who thinks a straightforward solution to peace exists.

Acknowledging even a semblance of shared truth is a cornerstone of conflict resolution, yet when 9 in 10 respondents reject evidence of civilian-targeted violence at the beginning of the current war—violence that was broadcast live to televisions and smartphones around the world—it represents a fundamental barrier to mutual understanding.

Western leaders are busy discussing sanctions against Israel and claiming Israel is committing deliberate breaches of international law. They should understand that we are living in a time where the very nation whose leaders committed the crime that started this war is in complete denial, not of its ethical legitimacy but of its very occurrence. This is a serious problem, and I would argue that measures targeting Israel serve to deepen this divide and take us further from any resolution.

We are all guilty of conscious and unconscious bias, but this national amnesia is a different beast.

I pray for peace and hope it comes, so our children don’t have to fight anymore. However, with the statistic above, the chances of this happening remain slim.