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Hamas Remains the Dominant Power in Palestinians' Minds

(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Khaled Abu Toameh - More than nine months after the Israel-Hamas war began, many Palestinians are convinced that the "day after" in Gaza will be a return to the pre-Oct. 7 era, in which the Iran-backed terrorist group still has control. Today, Palestinians fall into two groups: those who hate Hamas but think that, under the current circumstances, it is impossible to remove it from power, and those who want Hamas to stay in power because they embrace it and its extremist ideology. One Palestinian Authority official said that he had anticipated a fall in Hamas's popularity among Palestinians as the war drags on and more Palestinians lose their lives. "We see that the opposite has happened," he said. "According to polls conducted after Oct. 7, Hamas's popularity is rising. This is due to the widespread belief that Hamas is winning the battle. If you watched Al-Jazeera, you would also come to the same conclusion - that Israel has been defeated." According to the latest poll, a vast majority of Palestinians (68%) said the terrorist group's decision to launch war on Israel was "correct." There is virtually little debate among the Palestinians about the "day after" in Gaza. This is due to the widespread Palestinian belief that Hamas will somehow maintain its hold on power in Gaza after the war. The writer, a veteran Israeli journalist, is a senior fellow at the Jerusalem Center.
2024-07-14 00:00:00
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