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Last update - 19:05 04/01/2008 Poll: Fatah losing support among West Bank, Gaza Palestinians By The Associated Press Tags: West Bank, Palestinians  Despite international political and financial support, the popularity of the Fatah faction headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has declined over the past month, partially because of mistrust in the group's leaders, according to a poll published Friday. Fatah still commands a strong lead over the Islamic militant Hamas group that controls Gaza, with 39 percent of Palestinians trusting it, as opposed to 16 percent backing for Hamas. But in November, 46 percent of those surveyed for a similar poll favored Fatah, and 13 percent backed Hamas. Forty-one percent of those polled said they didn't trust either faction, up from 32 percent in November. Advertisement The telephone poll, conducted in late December by Near East Consulting, interviewed 959 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. It had a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points. While most Palestinians trust and approve Fatah's peace moves, they have little trust in Fatah's ability to improve their own living conditions, said Jamil Rabah, director of Near East Consulting. "People don't have a problem with the thinking and ideology of Fatah, but they are not happy with the symbols and leaders of Fatah," Rabah said. "They are getting so much money, but will they bring an end to the (deteriorating) situation?" In December, international donors pledged US $7.4 billion over the next three years to the Palestinians. The donations followed a U.S.-sponsored conference in Annapolis, Maryland, where Israelis and Palestinians relaunched talks after seven years of violence. Resumption of internal fighting in November and December might explain the growing dissatisfaction, Near East Consulting said. At least 16 people were killed over the past two months in Gaza. Rabah said near-daily Israeli military strikes against Hamas militants in Gaza during December could have encouraged some of those polled to rally behind Hamas in the latest survey. "The shift in numbers could be both alienation and some kind of bad feeling toward Fatah, as well as sympathy for Hamas," he said Bookmark to del.icio.us   Flip-flop on torture Responding to pressure, Canada takes U.S., Israel off a torture watchlist. Impending crisis UN warns of humanitarian crisis as Israel seals Gaza Strip crossings.   1.   Good time for Moderates to Unite... 19:18  |  Awake 04/01/08   2.   fateh hasn`t had support since arafat, lost election 19:26  |  muslim 04/01/08   3.   Hey olmert & lefties, read it. 19:42  |  common sense 04/01/08   4.   Israel actively working to undermine Abbas 20:10  |  Pablo B 04/01/08   5.   Next Hammastan in making,After Gaza 20:33  |  TOMY 04/01/08   6.   This is a Stockholm Syndrome issue.! 20:37  |  Stephen. 04/01/08   7.   Both Fatah and Hamas failed because they put their interests 20:47  |  Marwan مروان خوري 04/01/08   8.   #3 Pablo B - Ridiculous! 21:09  |  Yonatan 04/01/08   9.   Pay heed the wind of change 21:30  |  tony 04/01/08   10.   2 muslim,abbas should sack fayyad,the guy is a fat cat who holds 21:33  |  lakshmi 04/01/08   11.   Will they ever learn that Abbas is their 22:10  |  GPS 04/01/08   12.   The Bush Legacy: Better late than never 22:40  |  Natallie Durson 04/01/08   13.   Finance 101 for Lakshmi 23:20  |  Jacob Blues 04/01/08   14.   #4 - because Abbas is no better than Hamas 23:34  |  redmike 04/01/08   15.   Hamas wants nothing to do with peace 23:50  |  dave 04/01/08   16.   The Rise of Islam 00:28  |  JJ 05/01/08   17.   To #15: Idiotic answer 01:12  |  Frank 05/01/08   18.   Why won`t Hamas let the conquerers live in peace? 03:58  |  Nim Chimpsky 05/01/08   19.   13 Jacob Blues,what happened to all that money that he managed 04:23  |  lakshmi 05/01/08   20.   Palestinian Moderates/Moderate LEADERS: CORRECT Wrongs & UNITE! 04:57  |  Proud Pal Defender 05/01/08   21.   Nim Chimpsky - Why not 06:36  |  Mark Lincoln 05/01/08   22.   # 12 to natallie durson re: bush`s awareness... 11:10  |  eric 05/01/08   23.   Exactly like Israel!!!! 12:13  |  Leona 05/01/08   24.   The love of money for the PA and Hamas 14:51  |  Petra 05/01/08   25.   Right, JJ (15) but not in the way you think. What´s happening... 14:55  |  Karl 05/01/08   26.   #16 and who did it in the previous 1400 years jj? 15:24  |  victor hardman 05/01/08   27.   #22eric with more anecdotes from occupied mexico 15:28  |  victor hardman 05/01/08   28.   Prediction: THEY WILL BECOMER COZY AGAIN 15:34  |  Fortuna Benmayor 05/01/08   29.   Frank #17 15:35  |  JJ 05/01/08   30.   Both Fatah and Hamas failed because they put their interests 15:53  |  de d 05/01/08   31.   Weapons and Armored Vehicles 16:31  |  Jack 05/01/08   32.   #31 do you need proof about olmert jack? 17:27  |  victor hardman 05/01/08   33.   SINCE WHEN HE NEEDS HIS PEOPLE SUPPORT? 17:44  |  indrajaya 05/01/08   34.   Fatah appearing incapable of dealing 18:04  |  Mark Lincoln 05/01/08   35.   #4 Pablo B 18:35  |  Boycott 05/01/08   36.   #21 Mark Lincoln 18:42  |  Boycott 05/01/08   37.   Actual election figures of Fatah and Hamas 19:02  |  Sam 05/01/08   38.   to teveryone: WHY CLINTON-VOTE-FOR-ME LINK ON HAARETZ?? 19:20  |  noboysacred 05/01/08   39.   arafat was not alive when fatah lost 19:46  |  ibrahim taha 05/01/08   40.   #32, I think Israel, the people of Israel needs a wake up call 20:19  |  Jack 05/01/08   41.   Good news for settler movement & hard core zionists 21:18  |  Voice of Reason 05/01/08   42.   # 10 lakshmi on donors money 22:21  |  Lynn 05/01/08   43.   # 13 jacob blues..Fayyad is the best thing to 22:24  |  Lynn 05/01/08   44.   # 16 JJ on Islam 22:26  |  Lynn 05/01/08   45.   # 37 Sam thank you very much for that Post 22:31  |  Lynn 05/01/08   46.   WHO SPENDS THE MONEY 23:06  |  TOBIA 05/01/08   47.   Resond to Indrayaja 23:12  |  Tobia 05/01/08   48.   # 27 to victor harris re: presidents 23:28  |  eric 05/01/08   49.   Hamas is the Democratically Elected Gov.t Not PA 01:30  |  Straight Talk 06/01/08   50.   Straight Talk - but straight from the pit of nonsense 02:34  |  Mark Lincoln 06/01/08   51.   "It had a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points" 03:03  |  British Leftie 06/01/08   52.   21Lincoln`s False Symmetry: Gaza Pals don`t face Auschwitz, Warsa 03:10  |  Rob 06/01/08   53.   Mark Lincoln 03:19  |  Des Carroll 06/01/08   54.   HAMAS parachute school needs more Fatah trainees.!! 03:44  |  PETER SM 20/01/08

Today Online IDF kills two Gaza militants; Qassam strikes Sderot Responses: 544 Hamas policy: Escalation to force Gaza cease fire Responses: 271 Nasrallah: Hezbollah has the body parts of IDF soldiers Responses: 230 Benvenisti: Bush, Olmert, Abbas, the three stooges Responses: 76 Kaffiyeh-wearing protesters greet new Israeli envoy to U.K. Responses: 288 Rosner's Domain Blog & Poll: Can Joe Lieberman convince Jews in Florida to vote for McCain? Difference between Ahmadinejad and Khamenei (WTR) The Israel Factor: Bloomberg good only without Hagel Rosner's Mailbox: Brzezinski against 'right of return' because of Poland Shas voters do not want American Jews in Jerusalem debate More Headlines 03:33 Sources: Hezbollah has body parts of IDF soldiers 19:20 Canada takes close allies U.S., Israel off torture watchlist 20:09 IDF kills two militants in Gaza; Qassam rocket strikes Sderot 23:39 Egyptian troops kill African man trying to cross border to Israel 01:56 Ukraine rejects more T.A. flights, despite Bratslav demands 02:09 Assad: Damascus is the capital of culture and resistance 03:48 Organ donations from stroke victim save four lives 16:56 UN warns of humanitarian crisis as Israel seals Gaza crossings 02:56 Paranormalist Uri Geller is working his magic on German TV show Previous Editions Select Day 18 jan 17 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 11 jan 10 jan 09 jan 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan

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