Hamas’ popularity soaring following
Israel’s Gaza blitz
From Khalid Amayreh in Ramallah
5 February, 2009
The latest public opinion survey in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip has shown a dramatic rise in Hamas’ popularity among
Palestinians, with a significant decline in Fatah’s public
standing.
Moreover, the poll showed that a majority of Palestinians
believed that the advent of the Obama administration in the
U.S. wouldn’t make a big difference with regard to American
efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue.
According to the poll, Turkey, Venezuela and Iran as well
as Hezbullah are the most popular regional forces among
Palestinians.
The results of the latest poll, conducted by the Jerusalem
Media and Communications Center (JMCC) from 29-31 January,
showed that nearly 48 % of respondents believed that Hamas
came out of the Israeli blitz against Gaza victorious.
Nearly 10 per cent opined that Israel won the war, while
over a third of respondents, 37.4% said that neither side
achieved victory.
The poll, surveying a random sample of 1,198 respondents,
found a dramatic rise in the popularity of Hamas,
especially in the West Bank.
In contrast, the popularity of the Fatah movement suffered
a significant decline, especially in the West Bank.
When asked if general Palestinian elections were held
today, 28.6% of respondents said they would vote for Hamas.
Fatah’s standing declined from 34% last April to 27.9 in
this poll.
According to the latest poll, trust in Hamas rose from
16.6% last November to 27.7 % in this poll. In contrast,
the percentage of those who said they trusted Fatah fell
down from 31.3% to 26%.
According to a press release by the JMCC, the rise in
Hamas’ popularity occurred mainly in the West Bank, which
is controlled by the Western Backed Palestinian Authority.
Similarly, the percentage of those who said they trusted
Ismael Haniya, the Prime Minister of the Gaza-based
Palestinian government, increased from 12.8% last October
to 21.1 in this poll. Trust in PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas
went down from 15.5% last October to 13.4 in this poll.
The poll showed that the percentage of those opining that
the performance of the American-backed government of Salam
Fayad is better than that of the Gaza-based government
declined significantly from 36% last April to 26.9% in this
poll.
However, those who believed that the performance of the
Fayad government is worse than that of the Haniya’s
government rose substantially from 29.1 to 40% per cent.
The latest poll also found that support for military
resistance against the Israeli occupation rose from 49.5%
last April to 53.5% in this poll.
Moreover, the poll showed a rise in the percentage of
Palestinians opposed to peace talks with Israel.
Turkey, Venezuela and several other political and other
entities have also become more popular among Palestinians,
according to the latest poll.
Turkey received the highest point of 89.6 %, followed by
Venezuela (80.6 %) .
The International Committee of the Red Cross received a
satisfaction mark of (79.8) followed by UNRWA (78.6 %).
Qatar received a satisfaction mark of 68.3%, Hezbullah 66.9
%, the Muslim Brotherhood movement 57.6 % and Iran 55.9%.
The US received the satisfaction of only 2.8 of
respondents, Britain, 10.4%, Germany 14.4 % France was the
western country that received the satisfaction of the
highest percentage of respondents, at 21.5 per cent.
Egypt and Jordan received 35.1% and 41.7 % respectively.
Finally, when asked which entity you would prefer to assume
the task of reconstruction in the Gaza Strip, respondents
gave the following answers: A majority of 30.6% said they
prefer an international mechanism under UN supervision to
assume this task. The second choice was for a Palestinian
national unity government to oversee the reconstruction.
More than 23% said they preferred the government of Hamas
to do the job, while a minority of 13.7 % said they prefer
the Palestinian Authority to assume the task.
The decline in Fatah’s popularity can be attributed to the
widespread public dissatisfaction with the Ramallah
regime’s lukewarm stance during the war.
Many Palestinians had the impression that at least some of
the PA and PLO leaders adopted a “conspiratorial stance”
during the Israeli invasion of Gaza.
Some PA officials had reportedly made remarks voicing the
hope that Israeli would destroy the Hamas government in
Gaza.
Some PLO leaders, such as Yasser Abed Rabbo, reportedly
criticized Israel for ending the war too soon without
“finishing off Hamas.”
Another important reason for Fatah’s dwindling popularity
seems to have to do with the widespread suppression by PA
security forces of public descent during the war.
PA security agencies prevented and in many instances
violently suppressed pro-Hamas protests during the war.
Dozens of Palestinians, mainly Hamas sympathizers, have
also been arrested by the PA security apparatus in the West
Bank.
The latest opinion poll is not going to be a good news for
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Abbas has been calling for early presidential and
legislative elections in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and
Gaza Strip in the hope of ending Hamas’ government in the
Gaza Strip.
(end)
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