GAZA CITY, 21 January 2006 — A new poll yesterday showed Hamas deadlocked with the ruling Fatah party ahead of next week’s parliamentary elections. The results were the latest sign of trouble for Fatah, which had dominated Palestinian politics for decades.
According to yesterday’s poll, Fatah would capture 32.3 percent of the vote, while Hamas would get 30.2 percent. In Gaza, the two groups are just a few percentage points apart, with Hamas grabbing 36.4 percent of the vote to Fatah’s 36.7 percent.
The survey of 1,000 people by the Jerusalem Media and Communications Center had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points, putting the two rivals in a statistical dead heat.
Meanwhile, Hamas staged mass rallies with tens of thousands of supporters across the Gaza Strip in a final show of strength.
At a rally in Gaza City, a Hamas leader shouted: “Are you going to vote for Hamas?” The crowd, waving green Hamas flags, responded in unison: “Yes to change and reform,” the name of Hamas’ Parliament list.
Hamas is best known abroad for the scores of bombings it has carried out and its commitment to the destruction of Israel. But it has won over voters by focusing on internal issues, pledging to clean up government and end lawlessness in Gaza. Fatah has been weakened by the chaos and corruption in its ranks.
Yesterday’s Hamas rallies vividly illustrated the differences between the two parties. While Fatah has been riven by disarray and infighting, Hamas has been a model of discipline.
Tens of thousands of worshippers exited mosques across Gaza after Friday prayers to attend the Hamas rallies.
In Gaza City, people wore green baseball hats and scarves in support of the group. Hundreds of youths marched in formation holding Hamas flags as music played in the background. “They try to apply pressure on Hamas to give up the resistance and the weapons,” said Ismail Haniyeh, who heads Hamas’ list of Parliament candidates. “Today we are here to say that they have failed.”
Similar gatherings took place in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza and Khan Younis in the south. Candidates and top Hamas leaders were scheduled to address the crowds, and participants took oaths pledging allegiance to the group.
During the election campaign, Hamas candidates have generally adopted a conciliatory tone, focusing on a clean-government agenda, and being evasive about whether the group would renounce violence.
But during yesterday’s rally, Haniyeh made clear that the group remains committed to destroying Israel and capturing the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. “Hamas’ principles cannot be changed and will not be changed,” he said. “Hamas will not kneel down.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said he hopes Hamas will moderate its positions once it joins Parliament or even the Palestinian government. In this case, Israel and the international community will have to re-evaluate relations with the group they consider a terror organization.
Israeli officials signaled yesterday that they would be ready to negotiate with Hamas if it renounces violence and disarms after the election.
“If that takes place and happens, then we can consider or reconsider our position regarding Hamas,” said Raanan Gissin, a senior Israeli official. “If that does not happen, clearly Hamas cannot be a partner.” He said Israel expects Abbas to disarm Hamas and other groups after the election, as required by the US-backed road map peace plan.
“We are not going to exonerate him or release him from this obligation,” he said. “If he fails to do that, then clearly we will have to reassess the overall situation.”
Hamas is widely expected to demand a formal role in Palestinian decision-making after the election.
Israel has not said whether it would sever ties with the Palestinian altogether if Hamas sits in the government. The United States and the European Union have said they would have to re-evaluate the hundreds of millions of dollars in annual aid to the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials accused Iran and Syria of masterminding a bombing in Tel Aviv that wounded 20 people Thursday.
“We have definitive proof that the financing of the terror attack ... came directly from Iran, while the planning was carried out in Syria,” Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said after a late-night meeting with security officials. He said the findings would be shared with American and European officials.
Faisal Sayegh, the director of Syria’s state-run broadcast media, said Syria had “nothing to do with the operation.”
— With input from agencies
