Palestinian divide keeps West Bank calm

An explosion is seen behind a mosque after an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah near the border with Egypt yesterday. Photo: AFP

Despite an appeal by Hamas for a third Intifada, few in the West Bank appear to have much appetite for a new uprising in a mark of deep Palestinian divide and growing disenchantment with their leaders.
The first Intifada erupted throughout the Palestinian territories in 1987 as anger at 20 years of occupation boiled over after six residents of Gaza's Jabaliya refugee camp were run over and killed by an Israeli army vehicle.
But although the death toll from Operation Cast Lead is fast approaching the 1,000 mark, making it the deadliest ever Israeli offensive on the tiny strip of land, there have been no large-scale protests in the West Bank despite appeals by Hamas supremo Khaled Meshaal.
Neither has there been, aside from isolated incidents, an outpouring of attacks on Israeli targets.
"The Palestinian population no longer has any confidence in its national leaders, that's why there has been no mass mobilisation against the Israeli operation in Gaza," said Bassam al-Salihi, a leader of the Popular party, which were formerly known as the communists.
Salihi said the public's disillusionment with their politicians stemmed in large part from their seemingly endless feuds.