Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, bolstered slightly by Friday’s release of 255 prisoners, is in serious danger of betting on the wrong horse in the stakes for Palestinian governance. 

The latest poll shows that 85 per cent of Palestinians seek reconciliation with Hamas as compared with the 58 per cent that support negotiations with Israel. 

Ninety-four per cent blame Israel for insecurity on Palestinian streets and 84 per cent believe the international community is a key contributor to the chaos. 

These results reveal that Palestinians give priority to dialogue between Abbas’ Fateh movement and Hamas, which during June clashes took charge of Gaza.  It is Abbas who is perpetuating the rift rather than Hamas which has offered to allow Palestinian Authority ministries to resume normal operations.

Hamas remains, however, determined to retain security because during recent months Fateh-Hamas rivalries produced anarchy and allowed criminal elements and clans to terrorise the populace.  Since Hamas asserted its authority Gaza has been quiet and citizens can go about their business without fear of murder, kidnap, or robbery.

It is significant that 69 per cent of Palestinians have little or no confidence in the recently formed government led by Salam Fayyad and the same percentage feel the same way about the dismissed unity coalition headed by Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas; 35 per cent believe neither is legitimate.

Thirty-three per cent believe the crisis can be resolved through early polls, 31 per cent a Fatah-Hamas coalition, 14 per cent a Hamas-led government, six per cent the rival government appointed by Abbas and 16 per cent a referendum. If parliamentary elections were held on Saturday, Fatah would secure 45 per cent of the popular vote while Hamas would garner only 22 per cent, a drop of six points since a 2006 survey. 

Forty per cent of voters would not take part. If a presidential election were held, Abbas would receive 20 per cent of the vote, Haniyeh 19 per cent, and Marwan Barghouti, 15 per cent.  

The survey of 1,953 adults conducted by Fafo, a foundation established by the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, says only seven per cent of Palestinians believe former British Premier Tony Blair is the right person to be the envoy of the Quartet in which just 10 per cent of Palestinians have any confidence.