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In New Order, Hamas Seen on Rise

(Boston Globe) Dan Ephron - Fatah, the party that dominated Palestinian politics for decades, stands to lose a significant portion of its power this summer to the militant Islamic group Hamas, officials and analysts say. Fatah's image as a broadly spun web of corruption and ineptitude has become so ingrained in the minds of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over the past decade that most people who monitor politics here say its descent is inevitable. Independent Palestinian lawmaker Abdel Jawad Saleh said the list of scandals tainting Fatah leaders was so long that even staunchly secular Palestinians like himself were ready to see Islamic fundamentalists gain influence. Other observers say many Palestinians are ready to reward Hamas in the July 17 election for spearheading the intifada. One Palestinian pollster said Hamas would draw as much as 35% of the votes in July. Israeli officials are concerned that a large Hamas contingent in parliament would force Abbas to take a harder line in peace talks and abandon some of his more pragmatic policies.
2005-03-18 00:00:00
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