[Jerusalem Post] Khaled Abu Toameh - The major concern of most Gazans these days is not whether Hamas would impose strict Islamic religious laws, but whether they would be able to earn a decent living and feed their children. Hamas' presence in power has only aggravated the economic crisis there. "Fine, Hamas has put an end to the anarchy, but what about the economy?" asked a merchant from Gaza City. "I don't think the situation can continue like this for long." When a foreign institution recently announced a vacancy for a doorman, its managers were flooded, within hours, with more than 2,500 applications - many from university graduates. After all, the salary was relatively high by local standards: $350 a month. Almost every Palestinian knows that Hamas will remain in power for as long as Fatah is disunited and unreformed. But Fatah and its leader, Abbas, are still far from drawing the requisite conclusions and offering the Palestinians a better alternative to Hamas.
2007-09-28 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive