Leftist and independent Palestinian forces failed to seize a golden opportunity to establish themselves in the Palestinian street during the recent row between Fatah and Hamas. Instead, Palestinian politics has become more entrenched than ever before in the bipartisan party system.
In the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, secularist Fatah and Islamist Hamas have managed again to monopolize power politically, financially and on the ground. This stems from the inability of other groups, especially the leftists, to create a movement capable of challenging these two parties’ grasp on power in Palestine.