| Sounds like an excuse to kill people. They'll settle for Paleos if they can't get to the Zionists... |
The radical Islamist group Hamas will make its first major foray into the Palestinian political process Thursday when it takes part in local elections in its Gaza stronghold on an anti-corruption ticket. New Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas is trying to persuade both Hamas and its smaller rival, Islamic Jihad, to end their campaign of anti-Israeli attacks by joining the political mainstream. While they boycotted the Jan. 9 presidential election, both groups will be participating in the next round of municipal elections being held in 10 electoral districts across the Gaza Strip.Hamas did field a number of candidates in an earlier round of elections in the West Bank late last month but Thursday's ballot is being viewed as a first real barometer of its electoral strength. While voting is not taking place in Gaza City or in the other main towns of Rafah and Khan Yunis, the elections are seen as highly significant as they are the first since the territory was seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.