Friday, January 9, 2009

The West Bank: We're all Hamas now - supporters of Fatah unite behind enemy


Mahmoud Abbas's popularity has been caught in the crossfire of the Gaza invasion

By Ben Lynfield in Ramallah
The Independent

"Even if Israel wins on the battlefield or in the diplomatic corridors it is already paying the price of its Gaza onslaught in intensified hatred in the hearts of its Palestinian neighbours in the West Bank. The campaign also appears to be increasing public scepticism about the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's chosen path of negotiations as the way to establish an independent state alongside Israel....

Palestinian Authority security forces are keeping a tight lid on protests, preventing confrontations with Israeli troops and arresting anyone raising Hamas banners at rallies. But displays of identification with the beleaguered Gazans are everywhere...."

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