Strategy Page sums things up rather nicely. Palestinian opinion polls show that Hamas has lost some popular support since taking power in January, and is now about even with Fatah. However, some 60 percent of Palestinians still support the Hamas policy of not recognizing Israel's right to exist.
Palestinians believe that, in the long term, they will win. They are encouraged by increasing support by leftists in Europe and North America, and consider it possible that countries in both these regions will eventually support Palestinian terrorism, and put sanctions on Israel.
The culture of corruption among the Palestinians means that their leadership is dominated by demagogues and radicals who try to out-do each other in making extreme statements, and backing suicidal (to Western eyes) strategies.
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