(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The vast majority of people in the Palestinian Territories think the Fatah party is more capable than Hamas, according to a poll by Near East Consulting. 76 per cent of respondents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip believe Fatah has a better strategy to handle the Palestinian national interests, while 24 per cent prefer Hamas.

Fatah candidate Mahmoud Abbas won the January 2005 presidential ballot in the Palestinian Territories with 62.32 per cent of all cast ballots. In January 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative Council election, securing 74 of the 112 seats at stake. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh officially took over as prime minister in March. The Israeli government believes Hamas is directly responsible for the deaths of 377 citizens in a variety of attacks, which include dozens of suicide bombings.

In February 2007, Hamas and Fatah leaders reached an accord which set the guidelines for a power-sharing Palestinian administration, headed by Hamas. In June, amid a wave of violent clashes between Hamas and Fatah factions, Hamas militants seized control of Gaza. Abbas issued a decree to form a 12-member emergency government based in the West Bank and expelled Hamas from the administration. Fatah member Salam Fayyad was appointed as prime minister by Abbas.

In November 2007, Abbas and leaders from the United States, Israel and several Arab countries attended an international conference on Middle East affairs in Annapolis, Maryland. The meeting was brokered by U.S. president George W. Bush. On Nov. 27, Abbas and Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert announced they would work towards having a peace treaty signed by the end of 2008, which would include the creation of a Palestinian state.

The Islamic Jihad organization has been launching Qassam rockets into Israel from Gaza almost daily since Hamas took control of the territory. Israel holds Hamas responsible for the attacks for allowing the Islamic Jihad and other groups to act against Israel. In January, Israel completely sealed off its borders with the Gaza Strip and launched military operations in Gaza.

On Jun. 3, Hamas announced it would add six more ministers to its Gaza government. Fatah spokesman Fahmi al-Zarir criticized the decision, warning that it would deepen the division between Gaza and the West Bank, and stating, "Adding more people to an illegitimate body is worthless, but it signals that Hamas wants to consolidate the authority it gained from a coup in Gaza."

Polling Data

Which strategy do you prefer to advance the Palestinian national interests?

Source: Near East Consulting
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 800 Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem, conducted from May 22 to May 24, 2008. Margin of error is 3.2 per cent.

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