Hamas Running Strong in Palestinian Vote

"The Palestinian street is looking for reform and change and is now fully aware of the truth of the slogans propagated by the candidates as they have had enough of the corrupt policies," Al-Astal said.

Islam Online also noted news reports that "the Palestinian security bodies have been interfering to garner support for Fatah candidates in the West Bank," including threats against Palestinian citizens in southern Gaza Strip to force them to vote for Fatah-backed candidates.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights charged last week that acting chief of Palestinian police, Mahmoud Asfour, violated election law by directing his aides, commanders and police officers to "effectively participate in the elections and support candidates from the Fatah movement ... "

"This declaration constitutes a blatant violation of the rules of election campaigning," the PCHR reported. Palestinian National Authority officials and organs "must remain neutral in all stages of the electoral process."

PCHR observers also reported that Hamas and Islamic Jihad have used mosques to serve their election campaigns, also a violation of election laws.

Israel has been reluctant to get involved in Palestinian elections, "But apprehension that Hamas might score big gains, or even attain a majority, have brought about an abrupt change in Israel's approach," according to Arutz Sheva, a news site of the right-wing Jewish settler movement.

"For the first time, Israel is demanding that Hamas disarm before taking part in elections for the Palestinian legislative council, scheduled for July 17," the site said.

"It is inconceivable for an armed party to participate in the democratic process," the site quoted Sharon telling U.S. Senators Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), who were visiting Israel earlier this week. "From there it is impossible to move onto the road map."

Daniel Pipes, an American commentator writing for the Jerusalem Post, asks: "Is Washington misjudging Hamas?"

"The Bush administration's push for quick democracy in the Middle East has an increasingly clear implication: if Islamist organizations such as Hamas are to be likely electoral winners, Western powers should stop classifying them as terrorists and instead come to terms with them," he writes.

Washington's emphasis on promoting Arab democratic movements risks "whitewashing" Hamas, which Pipes says has killed 400 Israelis. Quoting President Bush, Pipes says "those who love freedom and peace must deal harshly with Hamas."

But Hamas, emboldened by its strong showing in municipal elections in Gaza in January, has rejected calls to renounce violence as it pursues electoral politics. As Aljazeera.net reported in March, "Hamas feels it is now strong enough, and confident enough," to join the Palestinian mainstream, "not as a spoiler or an upstart as the movement was once perceived . . . but as a full partner and even a potential saviour" of the Palestinian cause.

Today's vote should provide a reliable measure of Hamas's standing among the Palestinians.