Poll: Fatah Strengthens; Hamas Falls; Palestinians Believe Israel Poisoned Arafat

The worsening relationship between Hamas and the interim Egyptian government is fomenting a continued loss of popular support for Hamas according to the Palestinian Center for Policy and Research.  A new poll released by the Ramallah-based organization indicates that if elections were held today, Fatah would lead Hamas in popular support by a margin of 40% to 29%. The support extends to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, head of Fatah, who outpolled his Hamas counterpart with a showing of 40%.  The pollster attributed the growing support for Fatah to “the continued political conflict between Egypt and the Hamas government and the continued closure of tunnels and the Rafah crossing.” The poll also showed a prevalent belief among Palestinians that Israel poisoned the late Yassir Arafat.