[Jerusalem Post] Khaled Abu Toameh - One year after their victory in the PA parliamentary election, Hamas leaders on Thursday had every reason to be satisfied. Political and financial sanctions imposed by the international community have failed to bring down the Hamas-led government. Efforts by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party to undermine the government of Ismail Haniyeh have also been unsuccessful. Predictions that Hamas' popularity would drop have proven to be wrong. Reports that the U.S. and Israel are providing Abbas' security forces with rifles and ammunition to fight against Hamas have only damaged the reputation of Fatah, whose leaders are accused by Hamas of conspiring with foreign powers to topple a democratically elected government. Abbas' threat to call early elections doesn't appear to bother anyone in Hamas. "Hamas will win another election," said a Palestinian editor in Gaza City. "They will win mainly because most Palestinians still don't regard Fatah as a better alternative."
2007-01-26 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive