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Source: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1181813038998&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Fatah's Collapse in Gaza Rocks its West Bank Status
[Jerusalem Post] Khaled Abu Toameh - Fatah gunmen and PA policemen rounded up more than 30 Hamas officials and supporters in Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin and Tulkarm on Thursday in an attempt to consolidate Fatah's grip on the West Bank. Hamas does not have security bases in the West Bank, nor does it have armed groups that roam the streets openly. Yet Hamas remains popular in several cities. In the last municipal elections, Hamas candidates scored major victories in Ramallah, el-Bireh, Bethlehem, Nablus and Kalkilya. It's true that many West Bankers are unhappy with what Hamas has done in Gaza. But there are still many Palestinians who are fed up with the scores of Fatah armed gangs that have long been running wild in the West Bank. Fatah gunmen may control the streets of the West Bank, but this does not mean they enjoy the support of the majority of the Palestinian public. In fact, Fatah's humiliating defeat in Gaza is likely to undermine its standing in the West Bank.