MID: Gaza raids boost Hamas popularity at Abbas's expense
01 Jan 2009 3:46 AM
Hamas's star is rising among Palestinians as each new Israeli bomb falls on Gaza .. while Western-backed president MAHMUD ABBAS is becoming increasingly isolated.
The moderate ABBAS .. who lost control of Gaza when the Islamists seized it last year .. has even been accused by Hamas and others of seeking to retake power in the enclave with Israeli complicity.
ABBAS has repeatedly called for an immediate halt to the Israeli offensive in Gaza .. but his pleas have been eclipsed by the gory images of casualties and of protests across the Arab world broadcast on Arab television .. particularly Al-Jazeera.
At the same time .. Hamas is using its own Al-Aqsa television and internet site to mount a propaganda campaign against ABBAS .. regularly showing footage of him with Israeli leaders.
