What a pickle for Hamas. Do they accept the peoples will and reject their charter thats calls for the destruction of Israel and accept Israel or reject the peoples will and suffer the consequences?
Poll: 77 percent of Palestinians support the prisoners' document
Seventy-seven percent of Palestinians support the "prisoners' document," which calls for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to the results of a poll released Tuesday by Birzeit University in Ramallah.
On Tuesday afternoon, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas extended until the weekend a deadline for Hamas to agree to the plan drawn up by Palestinians jailed in Israel, which implicitly recognizes Israel. The ruling Hamas party has rejected calls to recognize Israel.
The poll also indicated a dramatic drop in support for Hamas. Of the respondents, 37 percent said they would vote for Hamas if parliamentary elections were held today, compared to 50 percent in April. Similarly, 37 percent said they would vote for Fatah.
Hamas and Fatah, Abbas' movement defeated by Hamas in the January parliamentary elections, have been holding talks on the document after Abbas gave Hamas a 10-day deadline to agree to the plan or face a national referendum on the document. The talks broke down for the last time on Monday night, leading Abbas to announce that the referendum would go ahead.
According to the Birzeit poll, a full 83 percent of Palestinians also support the creation of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders - one of the primary tenets of the prisoners' document.
Earlier Tuesday, Abbas agreed to extend the deadline for Hamas until the weekend, and both sides sent delegations to Yemen on Tuesday to hold further negotiations assisted by Yemeni President Abdullah Salah.
"Before the end of the week, President Abbas will hold a news conference to announce the holding of the referendum and the beginning of the process for carrying it out," Yasser Abed Rabbo, a PLO Executive Committee official close to Abbas.
"We, of the PLO Executive Committee, have approved his move and therefore Hamas has until the end of the week to change its position and accept the... document," Abed Rabbo said after Abbas briefed the forum on the deadline extension at the Muqata complex - the Palestinian government headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Abbas' decision came after appeals by Arab leaders, including President Salah, and representatives of the Palestinian prisoners to delay the announcement of the referendum.
The Hamas delegation, headed by the group's exiled political leader, Khaled Meshal, departed for the Yemeni capital of Sana'a on Tuesday to continue the negotiations on the document.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said Tuesday that the gaps between Abbas and Hamas on the prisoners' document are too great to be settled in just two days. He said negotiations must continue without any time constraints, Israel Radio reported.
The postponement could put off a showdown between Abbas and Hamas.
[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=723105&contrassID=1&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0](http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=723105&contrassID=1&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0)
Re: 77% of Palestinians accept Israel, 2 state solution. Showdown with Hamas looms.
The announcemet of the actual poll in which millions should be voting (instead of a few hundred in this poll) has been delayed by the Palestinian President.
Hamas won almost 60% of the seats in free and fair elections just a few months ago, which has put so many in a pickle.
Re: 77% of Palestinians accept Israel, 2 state solution. Showdown with Hamas looms.
Hamas won on social reform and internal domestic issues what is at hand now is foreign affairs, the Palestinian people and the Hamas charter that calls for the destruction of Israel are at odds with one another and is it coming to head.
Re: 77% of Palestinians accept Israel, 2 state solution. Showdown with Hamas looms.
It's still strange. Hamas' position on Israel is well known. They did indeed win on social reform and other internal issues (namely cracking down on corruption), but that hardly implies their position on Israel was either hidden or forgotten. So what's goin on?
Either the poll is messed up, or the Palestinians have had a serious change of heart...or, of course, Israel isn't their primary concern. The latter is also problematic for Hamas...that means they have to actually dilver on their promisies, and the Palestinains are in no mood to be side tracked by political issues involving the peace process at this point in time, which most probbaly think is a sham anyway.
A smaller Israeli footprint in the occupied territories have probably given the Palestinians enough breathing room to consider house cleaning as a priority.
Re: 77% of Palestinians accept Israel, 2 state solution. Showdown with Hamas looms.
underthedome,
Who are you to decide how and what the Palestinian's voted for in casting their ballots for Hamas? You and your zionist cohorts have been so wrong over your predictions about the Palestinians that you should really stop trying to gauge the opinions of the Palestinian people.
Every Palestinian knows about Hamas' economic, social, and political policies. The occupation by Israel is a living reality and foremost in their minds, and I am sure they had it in their minds when they voted.
You American's have to get to grips with the fact that democracy is not an American concept, programmed to take into account the likes and dislikes of your people.
Hamas was voted in by the Palestinian electorate in internationally-monitored free and fair elections. So take your own advice and accept the will of the people.
Re: 77% of Palestinians accept Israel, 2 state solution. Showdown with Hamas looms.
The whole reason Palestinians elected Hammas is due to its strong stance on the existence of the terrorist nation of Israel. So now if a poll comes out telling that 77% Palestinians support Israel is bunch of hogwash. I bet people who were in charge of conducting this poll are the same people who gave Bush victory thorough electronic voting in 2004.
Re: 77% of Palestinians accept Israel, 2 state solution. Showdown with Hamas looms.
Peace with Isreal is the only middle-east can prosper.There is no way any middle-east nation can challenge Isreal.They've tried it the past and failed miserably. I mean look at India and Pakistan they've been fighting like cats and dogs for past 6 decades and got nowhere.It only in the last few years that due peace talks both their economies have started booming.A nation cannot improve unless the people feel secure.