1、1 On Jan. 14, 2005, Mahmoud Abbas was elected President of the PA. Two municipal roundshave been held (Dec. 2004 and May 2005), with two more scheduled for September and Dec.2005. Parliamentary elections, set for July 17, 2005, have been indefinitely postponed. Congressional Research Service The Lib
2、rary of CongressCRS Report for Congress.Received through the CRS WebOrder Code RS21235Updated June 8, 2005Palestinian FactionsAaron D. PinaAnalyst in Middle East Religious & Cultural AffairsForeign Affairs, Defense, and Trade DivisionSummaryPalestinian factionalism continues to dominate the politica
3、l landscape in the WestBank and Gaza Strip. The manner in which competing nationalist, socialist, Islamist,and democratic-minded Palestinians vie to control the direction of any future Palestinianstate may influence United States objectives in the region. These include ending anti-Israeli violence,
4、supporting Palestinian reforms, and bolstering Palestiniandemocratization and civil society. Some factions are designated foreign terroristorganizations by the State Department. One of these, Hamas, is building on recentelectoral successes and may soon join the Palestinian parliament. This report de