Creating a terrorist state that’s run like a dictatorship and is split between two quarreling groups of terrorists was clearly a great investment.

As the current poll of Arab Muslims living in the terrorist-occupied territories in Israel reveals.

Neither Hamas nor the ruling Fatah faction headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas deserve to represent and lead the Palestinian people, according to a public opinion poll published over the weekend.While 33% said that neither side deserves such a role, 31% believe that Hamas is slightly more deserving than Fatah under Abbas, which polled 29%.

The poll, conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR), also showed that if presidential elections were held today, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh would defeat the 86-year-old Abbas.

The last time that the Palestinian Authority held elections, Hamas won. Since then (and we’re talking about the Bush administration), there have been no real elections and Abbas has just occupied a permanent presidency. 

How popular is he?

The poll found that almost three-fourths (73%) of respondents still want Abbas to resign, slightly less than 74% who said so three months ago; 71% in the West Bank and 76% in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

And Hamas would easily beat him in any election.

If only Abbas and Haniyeh were nominated, Haniyeh would receive 54% of the votes, and Abbas 38%. 

But if the PLO brought out its own terrorist leader, he might beat Hamas.

The new poll found that jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, serving five life sentences for his role in terrorist attacks during the Second Intifada, is the only candidate who could defeat Haniyeh in the presidential elections, receiving 59% to Haniyeh’s 37%.

That’s going to mean more pressure on Israel to release Barghouti so he can take over the PLO as a moderate alternative to Hamas. Expect the Biden administration, like the Obama administration before it, to start pushing this agenda. So here’s a reminder of why Barghouti is in prison.

Crimes orchestrated by Barghouti include: The murder of Greek monk Tsibouktsakis Germanus in Jerusalem on June 12, 2001; the murder of Yoela Hen in Jerusalem on January 15, 2002; and the murder of Eli Dahan, Yosef Habi, and Salim Barakat in Tel Aviv on March 5, 2002.

He was acquitted of 21 counts of murder in 33 other attacks, due to lack of sufficient evidence.  

Barghouti was the founder and senior official of the designated terrorist group Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, which was responsible for massacring dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings and shooting attacks during the Second Intifada (2001-2005).

Barghouti also served as the head of the Tanzim, an armed faction in Fatah that carried out attacks on Israeli civilians during the Second Intifada.
During his trials, Barghouti showed no remorse for the murders he committed. 

And all of that is because a majority of the Palestinians want terrorism. 

The poll found that 60% of voting Palestinians support suspension of PLO recognition of Israel and 61% support suspension of all agreements with the Jewish state, including security coordination between the PA and the IDF in the West Bank.

Additionally, 70% oppose an unconditional resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations while 64% oppose dialogue with the US administration under President Joe Biden.

The poll showed that 84% consider PA institutions to be corrupt, while almost 70% said the same of Hamas-controlled institutions.

When asked about the most effective means of “ending the Israeli occupation and building an independent state,” the public split into three groups: 44% chose “armed struggle,” 25% negotiations and 24% “popular resistance.”

It’s past time to shut down this terror state which is only capable of producing more terrorism.