Palestinian Opinions Post Gaza

The results of the public opinion poll conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communications Center (JMCC) during the period 29-31 January 2009 show that the majority of respondents (46.7%) believed that Hamas came out of the war victorious compared with only 9.8% who said that Israel won the war. Over one-third, 37.4%, said that neither side achieved victory in this war.

A striking finding in this field poll is the disparity between opinions in the West Bank and those in the Gaza Strip on most of the issues tackled in the poll. For example, 53.3% of respondents in the West Bank believed that Hamas won the recent war, while 35.2% of respondents in Gaza felt the same.

The poll, with a random sample of 1,198 respondents, found a rise in the popularity -- especially in the West Bank -- of the Hamas movement, its leaders, and its government alongside a decline in the popularity of the Fatah movement, its leaders, and its government.

The percentage of those who would vote for Hamas if PLC elections were held today rose to 28.6% in this poll compared with 19.3% last April. On the other hand, the popularity of the Fatah movement declined from 34% last April to 27.9% in this poll.

This change was also reflected in the level of public trust in the two movements. Trust in Hamas rose from 16.6% last November to 27.7% in this poll. With regard to Fatah, popular trust in the movement declined from 31.3% to 26% in the same period. It is clear from the poll that the rise in Hamas's popularity is due to an increase in its popularity in the West Bank -- it rose from 12.8% last November to 26.5% in this poll.

For the complete article and a link to download the full report click here

This brings up a lot of questions for me- is Hamas interested in building a Palestinian state? What does the rising support for Hamas in the larger Palestinian population mean? In some ways its obvious where it is coming from.. but what does it mean for the future? I keep hearing that Fatah is the partner to work with, not Hamas - but if the people support Hamas (and increasingly so) then what does that even mean?

And today, in light of the Israeli election results, what does the future hold?

Kadima won the most seats in the new Knesset, but the Likud-led right-wing would constitute the larger bloc.

Is it a positive sign that Kadima (the centrist party made up of former leaders in both Likud - conservative - and Labor - more liberal) will be in charge? Will Livni (head of Kadima and therefore in line to be PM) be able to make a successful coalition? Will Likud successfully block her formation of a coalition? And when Livni says she wants to change the government, what changes does she mean?

From The Jerusalem Post:

With 99.7 percent of the votes counted, Kadima was narrowly leading Likud with a predicted 28 mandates, while the latter had garnered a predicted 27 seats. Israel Beiteinu was expected to earn 15 mandates, Labor 13, Shas 11, United Arab List four, United Torah Judaism five, National Union four, Hadash four, Meretz three, Bayit Hayehudi three, and Balad three.

The final results, including votes from soldiers and emissaries abroad, will only be published on February 18.

Hilda Solis Secretary of Labor

Obama appointed Hilda Solis, Democratic Rep from California's 32nd Congressional District (including East LA) as Secretary of Labor on Friday.



Prior to her election to Congress, Solis served eight years in the California state legislature, where she made history in 1994 by becoming the first Latina elected to the State Senate. In August 2000, Solis became the first woman to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for her pioneering work on environmental justice issues in California.

See her acceptance speech and thoughts on environmental justice here.

In 2003, Solis became the first Latina appointed to the powerful House Committee on Energy and Commerce where she is the Vice Chair of the Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee and a member of the Health and Telecommunications Subcommittees.

The LA Times reports:

Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-El Monte), a Congressional Hispanic Caucus leader considered to be one of the most reliably pro-union voices in the House, is President-elect Barack Obama's choice to head the Labor Department, a Democratic official said Thursday.

Solis, 51, would be the third Latino member of Obama's Cabinet, a measure of diversity that has garnered praise from this fast-growing slice of the electorate...

Elected to Congress in 2000 from a district that includes swaths of East L.A. and the San Gabriel Valley, Solis has consistently voted in support of labor's interests. A congressional voting analysis conducted by the AFL-CIO showed that she voted with organized labor 100% of the time last year.

She supported measures increasing the minimum wage, making it easier for workers to organize and preserving a ban on privatizing jobs at the Labor Department. Other labor groups that study congressional voting patterns gave her a 100% rating in 2005 and 2006.

J.P. Fielder, spokesman for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, suggested that Solis' voting record is overly weighted in labor's favor. "The business community recognizes that economic growth has happened in a number of non-unionized states. She has sided with the AFL-CIO in 97% of the votes that she has cast on the Hill," he said.

Solis also serves on the board of directors of American Rights at Work, which advocates for the right to form unions and bargain collectively. The chairman is former Rep. David Bonior of Michigan, who was also in the running for the Labor secretary post.

"I'm very excited," said Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. "This is an extraordinary moment for all women, but especially for the Latino community."

Durazo said Solis would be effective in the job because she is a "coalition-builder" who "doesn't walk in thinking everything has to be a battle with business."

Complete article here

Also, Affirmative Action Blog Spot reports that:
While Rep. Solis is most regarded for her environmental support, her record on civil rights is strong. She is rated 100% by the NAACP and reflects a "pro-affirmative action stance," according to the website "On the Issues." According to this site, Solis also voted:

YES on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation
NO on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman
Voted NO on making the PATRIOT Act permanent
Voted NO on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage
Co-sponsored a Constitutional Amendment for equal rights by gender
Rated 87% by the ACLU, indicating a pro-civil rights voting record
Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks
Co-sponsored the bill to Reinforce anti-discrimination and equal-pay requirements
http://www.ontheissues.org/CA/Hilda_Solis_Civil_Rights.htm