Hamas credits Sharon with poll boost

[Wordie]

Hamas credits Sharon with poll boost

Friday 23 December 2005, 17:49 Makka Time, 14:49 GMT

Thousands of Hamas supporters have celebrated the group's 18th anniversary in a mass rally in Gaza City, and its spokesman said that tough Israeli policies had only increased its popularity.

Supporters clutched green flags and pictures of the Islamist movement's heroes. The crowd denounced "American and European interference" in Palestinian parliamentary elections due on 25 January.

Popular Hamas

Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas spokesman, addressed the rally saying tough policies waged against the Palestinians by Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, and Shaul Mofaz, his defence minister, have increased Hamas's popularity.

Al-Masri said: "We tell Sharon and Mofaz: the assassinations, the arrests and the aggressions have pushed our people to say 'yes to Hamas' much more strongly.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/BF8F0E0E-81F5-46A7-BC9C-2C480149BE42.htm

Seems like this is precisely what a number of us here in I/P have been saying.

Edited to add link.

[Coastie for Truth]

1. Slightly off topic

But I have been told that I was a pretty good "body double" for Abdel Aziz Rantisi. (We both have/had "Mediterranean Good Looks")