Abbas' West Bank is flourishing but Hamas is not worried

[Chris]

Abbas' West Bank is flourishing but Hamas is not worried
By Avi Issacharoff

RAMALLAH - To an observer, it sometimes seems that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas knows something we don't. Otherwise, it's hard to explain the sense of satisfaction he is projecting these days. Above all, it appears that since his announcement that he will not run in the next elections, the rais is feeling a sense of relief. This week, in a speech to the PLO's Central Council and afterward in an interview with Haaretz, he was in an upbeat and jovial mood, smiling all over and looking confident.

In recent months, senior Israeli figures have maintained on numerous occasions that Abbas has lost his power and cannot be a true partner for peace talks. Not only does he not rule in Gaza, their argument goes, but in the future Hamas will also take control of the West Bank if there is no Israeli presence there.

more.............Abbas' West Bank is flourishing but Hamas is not worried - Haaretz - Israel News

[Navyblue]

Perhaps, his bankacup runneth over, and it is time to runneth out?

[Chris]

Looks like Hamas is getting a lot of the money from Iran.

'Iran Gave Hamas $250M to Derail PA Talks'