Palestinians in Gaza Defy Hamas to Support Abbas Drive for UN Recognition

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As Khamis Nammour ladles steaming fava-bean stew onto plates of hummus at his Gaza City restaurant, he keeps an eye on the television screen for news about the Palestinian bid for United Nations recognition.

“It’s a good beginning,” said Nammour, 36, stirring the Egyptian stew known as fuul. “We have been waiting a long time to have our own state and we deserve it.”

His support for achieving Palestinian statehood through the UN isn’t shared by Gaza’s ruling Hamas movement. Its leaders officially frown on the campaign, led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas from the West Bank, home to 2.6 million people versus 1.6 million in the Gaza Strip. Eighty-six percent of Gazans favor the Abbas push, a survey by a Palestinian research center found, more than in the West Bank.

After the UN recognition effort was formally announced in May, Hamas leaders condemned Abbas, known locally as Abu Mazen, for failing to consult with them. They said his willingness to accept a state that includes only the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem showed weakness and that Israel should be taken over by Palestinians as well.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-22/palestinians-in-gaza-defy-hamas-to-support-un-recognition-bid.html