SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Politics : Middle East Politics

 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext  
To: steve kammerer who wrote (6221)4/26/2004 2:53:54 PM
From: Nadine Carroll  Read Replies (3) of 6945
 
Your facts are wrong. Only a tiny fringe in Israel supported Goldstein, that is correct. But a very large minority of the Palestinians support Hamas. Remember as you read this that Hamas' program, openly declared, is to kill or drive out every Jew from the Mideast. Khalil Shikaki runs the most respected Palestinian polling outfit:

Shikaki said he has been tracking four essential issues among the Palestinian public since the early 90s: balance of power; the perception of violence vis-a-vis Israelis; compromise and the legitimacy of the political system.

In terms of balance of power, Shikaki found that the intifada reversed the trend toward growing support for the mainstream that had existed during the previous five years, when the Islamists had only 17 percent support. Hamas and Islamic Jihad failed to capitalize on any of the Palestinian Authority's (PA) problems until 2000, at which point they made gains because of the outbreak of violence. Support for Hamas grew to 35 percent, making it the largest faction in Gaza and (in combination with Islamic Jihad) the largest faction in the West Bank, in both cases overtaking Fatah. Shikaki believes ideological support for Hamas remains around 20 percent, but the group gets additional backing as it now delivers on the desire of Palestinians for revenge. If a way is found to lower the Palestinian perception of threat, support for Hamas will once again decline, but if the situation continues, Hamas will grow stronger.

On the issue of violence, Shikaki found the intifada stokes support for it, and a re-enforcing cycle of violence has been created. Palestinians overwhelmingly believe that violence pays and achieves political benefits that negotiations cannot.

dailystar.com.lb
Report TOU ViolationShare This Post
 Public ReplyPrvt ReplyMark as Last ReadFilePrevious 10Next 10PreviousNext