Hamas Leader Haniyeh Favored for Unity President

HaneyehSupport for the terrorist organization Hamas has skyrocketed in Judea, Samaria and Gaza according to a new poll, after Hamas “skyrocketed” Israel with a massive missile barrage and terror war in Operation Protective Edge.

A full 61% of Arab residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza would pick Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh for unity government president if elections were held today, according to the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research poll reported Tuesday by Associated Press (AP).

By contrast, Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was found to have dropped sharply to a mere 32% in support.

The survey also found a “grass is greener” effect, with support for each of the two higher in the area under the other’s control; Haniyeh received 53% support in Gaza and 66% in Judea and Samaria, while Abbas got 43% in Gaza and 25% in Judea and Samaria.

The poll also suggested that a majority of Arab residents of the region support appropriating Hamas’s active terrorism against Jews in Judea and Samaria as well, a trend that accompanies a recent rise in terror incidents there.

The polling agency said Haniyeh gained a majority of support for the first time in eight years; the survey included 1,270 respondents and had a 3% margin of error.

Just in May a similar poll found jailed arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti of Abbas’s Fatah faction was favored for president of the new unity government, outpacing both Abbas and Haniyeh.

In an open letter last month, Barghouti called for a Fatah revolution, urging the group to further unify with Hamas and reject negotiations with Israel in preference of “resistance.”

The new poll also confirms another survey last Wednesday conducted by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion (PCPO), which found 89% of Gazans support indiscriminate rocket fire against Israel civilians.

On the other side of the Arab support for the terror war, an Israeli poll late last month after the ceasefire found a 59% majority of Israelis felt Israel did not win Operation Protective Edge, signalling the frustration over a perceived lack of decisive military action against Hamas.

The poll likewise found that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s approval rating has taken a nose-dive during the operation, plummeting from a high of 82% at the time of the IDF ground entry to an abysmal 32% after the ceasefire with Hamas.

September 2, 2014 | 6 Comments »

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6 Comments / 6 Comments

  1. Bear Klein Said:

    @ woolymammoth: As of this point in time if elections where held Bibi and the Likud would win again and Bennett and HaBeit HaYehudi would be second.
    The left is going to yell when Israel appropriates land or tells the Arabs and Pals NO. The far right is going to yell because Bibi has not yet annexed all of Judah and Samaria.
    This means things are getting back to what counts for normal in Israel.

    @ Bear Klein:

    Thinkyouare mistaken if Kachlon runs his new party. He will take most of his strength from Likud voters. This time the Likud who have currently 19 mandates out of 120 in the Knesset will run without Lieberman. Even if lieberman holds his current strength and Bennett stays wherehis current polls indicate between 17-19 mandates I’m not sure you are correct but then if the religious parties, Bennett, Kachlon and lieberman join together BB may not get the nod to form the next government. President Rivlin would be overjoyed for an opportunity to stickit to BB and give someone else the nod to form a coalition. Lots of potential to dump BB even and especially within the Likud itself if they see their hegemony threatened. At 32% and falling BB may not be the asset Likud stalwarts want to head their party.

    Coming up may be sevweral criminal indictments against him like BB gate and most of the dirt in the Gaza war has yet to be made public.

    I see elections still by the end of the year even if the parties don’t want them.

  2. @ woolymammoth: As of this point in time if elections where held Bibi and the Likud would win again and Bennett and HaBeit HaYehudi would be second.

    The left is going to yell when Israel appropriates land or tells the Arabs and Pals NO. The far right is going to yell because Bibi has not yet annexed all of Judah and Samaria.

    This means things are getting back to what counts for normal in Israel.

  3. I guess the people in Gaza are ok with their being used as human shields so, they approve of it, so they are terrorists too. No dealing with these people. Give them nothing of substance and demand new elections before Netanyahu makes another blunder. He will of course.

  4. According to the PA constitution Abbas is the illegitimate and illegal President of the PA. Elections were supposed to take place 6 years ago but were put off because Abbas knew he would lose to Hamas.

    This factoid should be used by Israel and all pro Israel activists to pound home this fact. Even contesting recognition of Abbas by all UN bodies recently accepting the PA as a member body.

  5. 89% of Gazans support indiscriminate rocket fire against Israel civilians.

    and the world wants the Jews to give a damn about their civilians; but true to form most Israelis do give a damn about enemy civilians rather than see their destruction as a necessary part of winning the war. The civilians are the support base giving the terrorists the authority to kill Jewish children.
    Hopefully Israel will conduct its “negotiations” on the premise that war with hamas AND fatah will re emerge on the west bank. Driving out the terrorists from the west bank, who are not liquidated, should be a must in future wars.

  6. OK, lets see.
    In the perception of the masses Netanyahu fell from 82% to 32% here and Hannieh jumped to 61% in Y & S while in Gaza probably much higher. Sure in as next president of the Islamic hordes.
    What does that say about who won and who lost?