by Khaled Abu
Toameh
April 28, 2016
April 28, 2016
For the full article go to - http://tinyurl.com/zc9ej9c
Palestinian political analysts said that the Hamas
victory at the university is an indication of what would happen if general
elections were held these days in the West Bank.
- Both Hamas and the PFLP are strongly opposed to any peace process with Israel. They continue to call for terror attacks against Israelis. The results of the election mean that most of the students at Bir Zeit University in the West Bank, not Gaza, support groups that have chosen terrorism over peace.
- The Hamas victory at Bir Zeit University also shows that it does not matter how much money you pour on Fatah's campus supporters; a majority of students would still prefer to vote for terror groups that do not believe in Israel's right to exist.
- Hamas leaders also called for holding long overdue presidential and parliamentary elections in the Palestinian territories. They said they had no doubt that their movement would easily defeat Fatah.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah
faction suffered yet another humiliating defeat at the Bir Zeit University student council elections,
held on April 27. Last year, for the first time since 2007, the
Hamas-affiliated student list on campus also won the vote.
The results of this year's election at one of the
Palestinians' most important universities reflects the growing discontent with
Abbas's Fatah faction among Palestinians in the West Bank. Palestinian
political analysts said that the Hamas victory is an indication of what would
happen if general elections were held these days in the West Bank.
Both Hamas and the PFLP are strongly opposed to any
peace process with Israel. They continue to call for terror attacks against
Israelis. The results of the election mean that most of the students at Bir
Zeit University in the West Bank, not Gaza, support groups that have chosen terrorism over peace.
As such, the Hamas victory carries symbolic
significance because it shows that even in Abbas's own backyard, he Islamist
movement remains as strong and popular as ever.
The Hamas victory at Bir Zeit University also shows
that it does not matter how much money you pour on Fatah supporters on campus;
a majority of students would still prefer to vote for terror groups that do not
believe in Israel's right to exist.
The results of the election should be seen more as a
vote of no-confidence in Fatah and Abbas's policies than a Hamas win.
Palestinian analysts said that the results reflected
Palestinians' distrust of Fatah, a faction that has long been suffering from
internecine fighting and splits. The main charge against Fatah is that it has
failed to reform and pave the way for the emergence of new and younger leaders.
In recent years, the Fatah leadership in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip has been torn apart by internal strife. In the Gaza Strip, rival
Fatah activists have been beating and shooting at each other. In the West Bank,
Abbas has been busy getting rid of his critics in Fatah. The latest victim of
Abbas's measures is Gen. Akram Rajoub, the Palestinian Authority Governor of
the largest West Bank city, Nablus. Last week, Abbas surprisingly fired
Rajoub, who is also a senior Fatah official.
Other Palestinians, however, surmised that Abbas's
decision was related to criticism the governor had made against top Fatah
officials.
It is precisely because of this internal bickering that
many Palestinians have lost confidence in Abbas and Fatah.
The results of the Bir Zeit University elections are
also an indication of the Palestinian students' rejection of Abbas's general
policies, especially regarding Israel. This is a vote of no-confidence in the
Oslo Accords with Israel, the "peace process" and ongoing security
coordination between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.
"How can Fatah win any election when it is divided
and its leaders are openly saying that they listen to Zionist songs?" remarked
Palestinian political analyst Hisham Sakallah. He pointed out that while Hamas
supporters on campus ran in the election on a ticket that promoted "armed
resistance" against Israel, Fatah leaders were continuing to conduct
security coordination with the Israelis.
Hamas correctly sees its victory in the Bir Zeit
University election as a sign of growing Palestinian support for its
"armed resistance" and the "Al-Quds Intifada" against
Israel.
The Hamas victory provides further evidence of the
increased radicalization in Palestinian society. This is the direct result of
the ongoing campaign of anti-Israel incitement that continues to be waged not
only by Hamas, but the Palestinian Authority and Fatah too, and that is funded
in large part by Europe.
Under such circumstances, it is not a good idea to
promote the idea of free and democratic elections in the Palestinian
territories. Worse, the talk about a renewed peace process and a two-state
solution has become a distasteful joke.
Video of the week: Why Do
People Still Deny The Holocaust? http://tinyurl.com/hamgw4o
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