HAMAS AS STRONG IN WEST BANK AS IN GAZA

Intelligence Assessment: Hamas Just as Strong in West Bank as in Gaza - Yaakov Katz
At Wednesday's security cabinet meeting, Israel's defense establishment - including the IDF, Mossad and Shin Bet - was extremely pessimistic about what will happen the day after the Annapolis peace meeting. Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin warned that Mahmoud Abbas was too weak to implement an agreement after the summit. At the same time, he said, if Israel did not engage Abbas as a partner today, it might find itself without a partner tomorrow.

According to recent intelligence assessments, and contrary to public thinking, Hamas is just as strong in the West Bank as it is in Gaza. While in Gaza Hamas men walk around in the open with assault rifles and anti-tank missiles, in the West Bank the group's power core can be found in the mosques as well as in welfare and financial institutions. (Jerusalem Post)

Palestinians: Israel Prevents Hamas Takeover of West Bank (CAMERA)
According to a November 2007 poll of Palestinians by An Najah University, a plurality of Palestinians feel that Hamas is "unable to dominate the West Bank" mainly because of Israel's presence in that territory. That seems to be something that both Olmert and Abbas would want to consider when they meet in Annapolis later this month.

What makes Hamas unable to dominate the West Bank?

36.7% The Israeli Occupation
23.3% The Strength of Fateh in the West Bank
19.6% The weakness of Hamas in the West Bank
13.0% The strength of the security apparatuses in the West Bank
7.4% No opinion/I do not know

You can see the rest of the poll results here.