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Palestinians on the Verge of Civil War?
[Sydney Morning Herald-Australia] Paul McGeough - In Beit Hanun in Gaza, Ribhi Hussein, the father of little Osama, says: "You see this one-year-old? He will grow up to a bomber in Tel Aviv....He is my boy, but he is not as priceless as Jerusalem." On a rise overlooking the Mediterranean north of Gaza City stands a palatial residence, the home of Dr. Nabil Shaath, who was foreign minister in the Fatah-led former government. Here, the swimming pool, the manicured gardens, and the Asian household staff are read by ordinary Palestinians as proof of the rampant corruption that caused voters to turn against Fatah. Dr. Ibrahim Ibrach, a political analyst at Gaza's Al Azhar University, agrees that the current crisis has eroded some of Hamas' popular support, but predicts that if an election was held tomorrow, Hamas would probably win because the Fatah factions are fighting among themselves. "If Hamas fails - or if it is made to fail - Palestinian voters will not rush back to Fatah's corruption and its failed peace efforts."