RENEE MONTAGNE, Host:
One of the losers in the Gaza fighting could well be Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah movement. When Israel's offensive began, Abbas pointed a finger at Hamas, saying it was at least partly to blame because it had provoked Israel with its rocket fire. Abbas has since been more critical of Israel. But as we hear from NPR's Ann Garrels in the West Bank, he seems to have misread popular Palestinian sentiment.
ANNE GARRELS: While there have been massive demonstrations against Israel's assault on Gaza across the globe, similar protests have been largely suppressed in the occupied West Bank, which is run by opponents of Hamas, President Abbas and his Fatah movement.
(SOUNDBITE OF DEMONSTRATION)
GARRELS: Last Friday, when demonstrators moved from this mosque in downtown Ramallah, parking attendant Abdul Hakim Nakhleh watched as helmeted Palestinian police beat the largely peaceful protesters.
MONTAGNE: (Through Translator) People were chanting, not knowing that they would be beaten and tear-gassed. Even women were beaten by women police.
GARRELS: The demonstration, which had started out in support of the people of Gaza, turned into a protest against Abbas. Forty-three-year-old Abdul Hakim says he once voted for Abbas but from now on, he will vote for Hamas. After a year of failed peace talks, Abbas is hard-pressed to persuade people here moderation pays. Jeweler Murad Odeh says he thinks Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, will be in trouble in the next elections.
MONTAGNE: (Through Translator): Abu Mazen keeps talking about peace, but we haven't seen anything. Despite Israel's promises to withdraw, there are still more than 600 Israeli roadblocks. They continue expanding their settlements on our land. At any time, the Israeli army can come here and arrest people. People here do not feel secure.
GARRELS: Ayman Daraghmeh is a member of parliament affiliated with Hamas. He believes President Abbas has made serious mistakes in recent weeks, reinforcing the growing perception he's a pawn of Israel and the U.S. But however much Hamas may have gained, he says the continuing split within the Palestinians must be resolved so there can be new elections.
MONTAGNE: After this crisis will end, what I think - people will have to sit together to end this kind of split between Gaza and the West Bank.
GARRELS: He warns if the two sides can't work together, if there's no progress on real peace talks - not just empty negotiations - there could be more violence.
MONTAGNE: People sometimes will explode suddenly - like in the first uprising, second uprising - without any permission from the Palestinian leadership.
GARRELS: Abdullah Abdullah, a senior Fatah official, also hopes the crisis in Gaza will somehow force the Palestinians to resolve their differences. He says the international community is as much to blame for the split as the Palestinians themselves.
MONTAGNE: If the peace process was progressing normally, Hamas wouldn't be there. Extremism comes to fill a vacuum. That vacuum was created by those who never thought seriously of achieving peace.
GARRELS: While loathe to acknowledge Abbas has lost ground, he does say the security forces in the West Bank have gone too far.
MONTAGNE: We don't tolerate their intervention to arrest any demonstrator.
GARRELS: It's going on.
MONTAGNE: No, it has stopped. We intervened strongly, and it has stopped.
GARRELS: This may be too little, too late. It remains to be seen Friday, when more demonstrations are expected, if the Fatah-led government will, indeed, allow them. Anne Garrels, NPR News, the West Bank.