Palestinian Arabs in Israel comprise about one sixth of Israel’s citizens, yet little survey research is available on this minority. In the past, Palestinians in Israel have not been adequately included in random representative samples of the Israeli public, and their opinions have been underrepresented in surveys used by policy makers. The way in which questions have been posed often reflect insensitivity to or misunderstanding of basic political and social issues of concern to the community. To fill this gap, Mada al-Carmel established its Survey Research Unit (SRU) in 2002. The SRU monitors the attitudes and opinions of the Palestinian community in Israel regarding social and political issues. It conducts public opinion surveys and telephone and face-to-face interviews.

The SRU formulates and prepares research tools, benefitting from its close familiarity with the social and political dynamics within Palestinian society. It maximizes the representativeness of its samples by selecting them from all Arab towns and villages, including small and ‘unrecognized’ villages, as well as mixed Arab-Jewish cities.

The SRU aims to present an accurate picture of the situation of the Palestinian minority in Israel and to contribute to the process of designing policies that respond to this community’s needs. By sharing its surveys and reports with researchers and academics in Israel and elsewhere, as well as with public institutions, NGOs, political parties, and media organizations, the SRU encourages public debate on survey results and their implications.

Mada’s SRU reports can be accessed here.

Survey Research Unit Services

The SRU also provides the following services to researchers, universities, NGOs, businesses, and other interested parties: Conduct telephone and field surveys; Offer expert advice on conducting surveys and field research on the Palestinian community in Israel; Advise on survey research methodology, including any and all of the phases of conducting surveys, including preparing questionnaires, selecting sample populations, performing interviews, statistical analysis, and preparing final reports.

Please contact us to inquire about the SRU’s work and services.