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Hamas gains in backlash to Abbas speech

President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech in which he emphasized security coordination with Israel has seen a fierce backlash from the Palestinian street, givng Hamas a likely poll boost.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gestures as he speaks during a conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah June 19, 2014. Israeli forces traded gunfire with Palestinians on Thursday, the military said, in the fiercest street battles in the occupied West Bank since a search began for three Israeli teenagers missing for a week. Abbas roundly condemned the kidnappers on Wednesday and promised to hold to account those responsible. His words in turn were denounced by Hamas and other factions, who accused hi
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — As time passes, the negative effect of President Mahmoud Abbas' June 18 speech to the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah is getting worse. As soon as Abbas finished his speech, social media was abuzz with shock and anger.

Social media activists promoted the hashtag “Abbas doesn’t represent me” and the video of the speech, writing angry comments. In particular, they criticized Abbas for saying, “Security coordination between us and Israel is in our interest to protect our people. … We will not restart an intifada that would destroy us. … The Israeli government is escalating a lot. The reason is that three young men were abducted from one of the settlements,” in reference to the disappearance of three teenagers June 12.

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