February 27, 2006
THE VOTE IS A HARSH MISTRESS:
One town doubts Hamas (Joshua Mitnick, 2/28/06, The Christian Science Monitor)
QALQILYA, WEST BANK: [...]Posted by Orrin Judd at February 27, 2006 7:58 PMWhen the militant group Hamas beat the ruling Fatah party for control of this Palestinian town of 42,000 in last May's municipal elections, the new councilors promised to pave uneven streets like the one outside Mustafa Juadei's glass business. And while Mr. Juadei awaits the road improvement, he says that potential clients go elsewhere.
Hamas's win in cities like Qalqilya was a harbinger of their surprise Jan. 25 victory in the parliamentary election. But, after experiencing six months of local Hamas rule, Qalqilya was the only district in which Hamas lost to Fatah last month. Now, as Hamas cobbles together the first Palestinian cabinet led by an Islamist party and struggles to secure much-needed aid money, some locals say a Hamas backlash could spread in the Palestinian territories.
[W]hile Mr. Juadei awaits the road improvement, he says that potential clients go elsewhere.
Perhaps he should offer to deliver.
Posted by: Noam Chomsky at February 27, 2006 8:26 PM