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Haaretz published an interesting poll this week, which found that public support for Hamas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip has fallen to 18.8
percent, compared with 27.7 percent in its previous poll in January:
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction is now more
popular than Hamas with a 34.9 percent rating, up from 26 percent in
January, according to the poll of 1,199 people.
Khader Khader, head of the media unit at the East
Jerusalem-based JMCC, said Hamas' popularity was hit by discontent in
the Gaza Strip, where the group rules, over a lack of movement in
Egyptian-sponsored unity talks with Fatah and in reopening the
territory's borders.
This finding is especially interesting:
According to the poll, 26.5 percent of those surveyed
blamed Israel for the deadlock in the Hamas-Fatah dialogue while 23.5
percent pointed a finger at Hamas and 15.5 percent said Fatah was
responsible.
But infuriatingly, no details are given as to when the poll was conducted. Was it, for instance, before or since the Iranian 'election'? Was it before or during the latest rumour on a Hamas/Fatah unity agreement brokered by Egypt?
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