Public Opinion and Political Response in Palestine

Leadership, Campaigns and Elections since Arafat

The 2006 elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council, the first in which both Fatah and Hamas fielded candidates, resulted in a resounding victory for Hamas. Winning 74 out of the 132 seats (compared to Fatah's 45), Hamas' election strategy had proved effective against Fatah's ineffectual campaign and failure to properly consider public opinion. Erika Schwarze offers here an in-depth examination of these two separate campaigns, and how Fatah's lack of responsiveness to the popular mood in the run-up to elections following Arafat's death and beyond, led to its defeat in spite of its considerable experience of electioneering. She analyses the conduct of Palestinian leadership during this critical period, exploring the reasons for Fatah's inability to prioritise responsiveness to public opinion, and providing insights into the movement's electoral prospects in the future and its chances of survival and revival