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Will Hamas Hijack the Palestinians' Islamist Spring?

(Gatestone Institute) Khaled Abu Toameh - Recent public opinion polls have shown that the popularity of Abbas' ruling Fatah faction has declined and that Palestinians are eager for change. Most Palestinians would like to see new faces among the top brass of their leadership. The same leaders have been in office for decades. Many Palestinians feel that under Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority has joined the club of corrupt Arab dictatorships that suppress the opposition and crack down on freedom of speech. Palestinian youth groups appear to have reorganized themselves and are preparing for another wave of protests in the West Bank. In recent days, the protesters have even begun chanting the same slogans that Egyptians used against Hosni Mubarak and the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces. The Facebook and Twitter protesters say they have no political affiliations and that their only goal is to replace the old-guard leaders in Ramallah with young and charismatic faces. The Palestinian Authority, however, says that the protests are part of a foreign conspiracy designed to undermine Abbas' leadership. In the absence of a credible and organized Palestinian opposition in the West Bank, a Palestinian Spring could quickly turn into an Islamist Spring, paving the way for Hamas to seize control over the West Bank.
2012-07-06 00:00:00
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