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Hamas fails to assemble quorum, challenge legality of Fayad gov't
By News Agencies

Hamas failed in a bid on Sunday to convene the Palestinian parliament to challenge the legality of the government just installed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to replace a Hamas-led administration.

The session was not able to start because a quorum could not be assembled. Hamas lawmakers said just 28 of 132 legislators turned up for the session, held jointly in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Hamas needed at least 67 for a quorum. Fatah boycotted the session, calling it illegal.

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n lieu of the session, Hamas lawmakers held an informal "consultative" meeting over the steps taken by Abbas. Acting speaker Ahmed Bahar, a Hamas leader in Gaza, used his mobile phone to contact lawmakers in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Hamas accused Fatah, the secular faction led by Abbas, of closing down a meeting room in Ramallah to prevent the lawmakers from using a video link that normally connects the two chambers.

Hamas won a majority of the seats in parliament in a January 2006 election, but Israel has arrested about half the group's 74 legislators and it can no longer assemble a majority.

Last week, Hamas boycotted a parliamentary session called by Abbas, saying that session was illegal and would have been used by Fatah to take over leadership posts now held by Hamas. "We are here to send a clear message that the parliament must not be undermined. No one must undermine the Palestinian Basic Law," Bahar said, referring to the interim constitution.

Abbas disbanded the Hamas-led government and formed an emergency administration after the Islamist group seized the Gaza Strip by force on June 14. Since then, he has ruled by decree.

Responding to constitutional limits on the state of emergency, Abbas on Friday swore in three new ministers and reappointed Salam Fayad as prime minister. Abbas's aides say his actions were in keeping with the Basic Law.

Hamas rejected Fayad's enlarged cabinet. "I hold Fatah and the president personally responsible for
trying to put the parliament to death, with the help of the Zionist enemy who is keeping over 40 brothers in jail," said senior Hamas lawmaker Youssef al-Shrafi.

Shrafi said the only way out of the current impasse was through dialogue between Hamas and Fatah.

The main authors of the Basic Law said last week that Abbas was overstepping his authority and was required to obtain parliamentary approval to keep in place the government he set up
under Fayad.

Fatah says no such approval is needed so long as parliament is paralysed.

Poll shows Hamas is losing support in Gaza
The violent takeover of the Gaza Strip has cost the Islamic Hamas some support there and bolstered its rival, Fatah, according to a poll released Sunday.

Hamas swept through Gaza last month, vanquishing numerically superior forces aligned with Fatah of moderate Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who responded by dismissing the Hamas-led government and installing a new one with his backers.

The poll of Gaza residents shows a backlash. Hamas got only 23 percent support, down from 29 percent in the previous survey last month, while Fatah climbed from 31 percent to 43 percent.

The poll, the first major survey since the Hamas takeover, also showed that 66 percent of Hamas supporters said they would vote Fatah if it undertook reforms.

The poll, released by Near East Consulting, interviewed 450 residents of the Gaza Strip. It quoted a margin of error of 3.05 percentage points.

I was surprised, said Jamil Rabah, head of Near East Consulting. Rabah said price hikes and food shortages along with a perception that Hamas was becoming increasingly authoritarian, contributed to its fall in support.

Trust in the Gaza-based deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas stood at 37 percent, compared to 63 percent for Abbas. Prime Minister Salam Fayad got higher trust marks than Haniyeh, 62-38 percent.

"A lot of people answering this question said we like Haniyeh more, but we want people who can really deliver," Rabah said, adding "People are becoming more realistic."
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Disturbing trend
Jewish Agency says Anti-Semitic acts in Jan. 2009 triple last year's records.
After the war
IDF gains in Gaza have softened Israel's stance on Shalit deal.
  1.   Hamas supporters: hopefully you`ll miss your beloved killings 19:34  |  S 15/07/07
  2.   Monkey on their backs 19:39  |  Yonatan 15/07/07
  3.   OOPS!!! 19:41  |  Brant 15/07/07
  4.   these polls are financed by Fatah, they mean nothing 20:02  |  KMS 15/07/07
  5.   Regrdless of polls, Gaza will never be reconnected 20:08  |  Ruhamah Yakir 15/07/07
  6.   Really! 20:11  |  Ahmed 15/07/07
  7.   Hopes for Hamas, eventually....... 20:16  |  Esther 15/07/07
  8.   So Rocket Factories are running at 60%Capacity 20:18  |  Alan 15/07/07
  9.   Is it the fruit? 20:20  |  Gina 15/07/07
  10.   6Ahmed they are pulling out all the stops in the propaganda war, 20:53  |  lakshmi 15/07/07
  11.   #6 - #10 Ahmad ad Laksmi 21:35  |  Maurice 15/07/07
  12.   Lackshmi Sings: "All the Stops in PR" 21:53  |  Tex 15/07/07
  13.   Very transparent zionist propaganda 22:19  |  Hannah 15/07/07
  14.   hamas is less popular ?! 22:44  |  redmike 15/07/07
  15.   #6 - polls in Gaza are subject to Hamas `correction` 22:48  |  redmike 15/07/07
  16.   #13 - - you gave me a good laugh before I went to bed - he hehe 22:51  |  redmike 15/07/07
  17.   hmm 22:52  |  vik 15/07/07
  18.   GOOD Polls!!!!!!!!! 22:53  |  ihsan 15/07/07
  19.   Hannah 22:55  |  eva 15/07/07
  20.   haha hamas are losers 23:16  |  dan 15/07/07
  21.   Polls in Palestine 23:29  |  Tareq 15/07/07
  22.   The Polls 23:30  |  Steve Cohen 15/07/07
  23.   11 Maurice,an unrealistic assessment,since Hamas has done a good 23:34  |  lakshmi 15/07/07
  24.   @19, eva. with or without hanna there is never to be 23:43  |  vladimir 15/07/07
  25.   # 10 Lakshmi 23:53  |  Lynn 15/07/07
  26.   # 3 But, Brant..... 00:01  |  Lynn 16/07/07
  27.   LAKSHMI: Please, stop and THINK 01:51  |  Brant 16/07/07
  28.   26.Lynn,right here in Haaretz they showed pictures of people 02:19  |  lakshmi 16/07/07
  29.   Hopefully the Pals have woke up and want to go forward 02:39  |  Kipperraes 16/07/07
  30.   #5 Ruhama Yakir 02:51  |  * BEN JABO 16/07/07
  31.   #23 Lakshmi - yes they did a lot of good 03:06  |  * BEN JABO 16/07/07
  32.   # 28 Must have missd those pics 03:18  |  Lynn 16/07/07
  33.   #28 lakshmi 03:22  |  * BEN JABO 16/07/07
  34.   32Lynn hard for you to accept facts about Israel,so you abuse the 06:14  |  lakshmi 16/07/07
  35.   33Ben jabo,excuses,excuses! A journalist and a camera man should 06:16  |  lakshmi 16/07/07
  36.   right of return 13:20  |  Jehuda 16/07/07
  37.   #35 lakshmi - so much more valid 13:46  |  * BEN JABO 16/07/07
  38.   37Ben jabo the rocket used by Hizbollah are different from 17:00  |  lakshmi 16/07/07
  39.   #38 lakshmi - You`re misinformed as usual. 17:38  |  * BEN JABO 17/07/07
  40.   #38-2 lakshmir 17:45  |  * BEN JABO 17/07/07
  41.   #38-3 lakshmi Clusters & Water 18:05  |  * BEN JABO 17/07/07
 Read & React
Kadima: Netanyahu-led Israel would clash with Obama
Responses: 89
Rabbi Menachem Froman: Can we change Hamas? It's worth a try
Responses: 69
R. Pedatzur: Since there was no real war in Gaza, Israel can't declare victory
Responses: 43
Gideon Levy: A vote for Livni, Barak or Netanyahu is a vote for an extremist
Responses: 62


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18:55 Iran official: Obama Mideast policy probably same as Bush
21:13 Israel to grant legal aid to IDF troops accused of Gaza war crimes
22:16 Court to state: Let foreign media into Gaza when borders open
22:04 Jewish Agency: Anti-Semitic acts in Jan. 2009 triple last year's records
18:34 Israel Bank predicts downward spiral amid global economic crisis
16:41 Barak: Gaza op caused huge backlog in Egypt of arms meant for Hamas
20:05 IDF adds antelope to its arsenal in fight against Hezbollah
21:19 Lieberman: I'm used to police probes before election time
13:50 'U.S. Navy hunting Iran ships sent to rearm Hamas in Gaza'
11:30 Report: Turkey says Israel must really want peace for it to broker Syria talks again
14:52 Top Anglican priest raps BBC: Gaza appeal is not 'Hamas asking for arms'
12:29 Moroccan organizations in Holland agree to attend Auschwitz memorial
06:35 ANALYSIS / Netanyahu's anti-Obama flak jacket
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