September 29, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Most residents of the Gaza Strip and West Bank think Hamas is to blame for a recent political stalemate, according to a poll by An-Najah National University. 66.6 per cent of respondents reject the group’s position of not recognizing the legitimacy of the government formed by Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Most residents of the Gaza Strip and West Bank think Hamas is to blame for a recent political stalemate, according to a poll by An-Najah National University. 66.6 per cent of respondents reject the group’s position of not recognizing the legitimacy of the government formed by Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas.

In addition, 38.9 per cent of respondents think Hamas is responsible for impairing the work of the Palestinian Legislative Council, while 23.2 per cent think Fatah is to blame.

Fatah candidate 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. 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, Hamas and Fatah leaders reached an accord which set the guidelines for a power-sharing Palestinian administration, headed by Hamas, which would "respect" past peace agreements with Israel. In June, amid a wave of violent clashes between Palestinian supporters of the 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. Hamas has refused to recognize the legitimacy of the government led by Abbas.

On Sept. 24, two renowned Israeli writers, Amos Oz and David Grossman, along with other 11 prominent intellectuals, called for their government to hold peace negotiations with Hamas and declare a ceasefire. Israel has always maintained it will not talk to Hamas until the group recognizes the Jewish state, renounces violence and accepts existing Israeli-Palestinian accords.

The group published a letter in Haaretz, which read: "The on-going Qassam rocket fire from the Gaza Strip is intolerable. (...) Israel has negotiated in the past with the toughest of its enemies, and now it is conducting, justifiably, negotiations with Hamas for the return home of Gilad Shalit. These negotiations must include an attempt to reach a comprehensive ceasefire with no pre-conditions."

Shalit—an Israeli soldier—was captured by Palestinian militants in June 2006, and remains captive today.

Polling Data

Hamas has declared that it will not recognize the legitimacy of the government that Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas has formed. Do you support or reject Hamas’ position?

I support	21.7%
I reject	66.6%
No opinion	11.7%

Aside from the Israeli measures against the members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), which Palestinian side, in your opinion, is responsible of impairing the PLC?

Hamas bloc	38.9%
Fatah bloc	23.2%
The other blocs	9.9%
No opinion	27.9%

Source: An-Najah National University
Methodology: Interviews with 1,360 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, conducted on Sept. 13 to Sept. 15, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.