RAMALLAH, February 1 (JMCC) - Palestinians in both the
West Bank and
Gaza Strip have created Facebook pages calling for demonstrations against the authorities there,
reports the New York Times.
In an early sign that people on both sides were seeking to capitalize on the regional turmoil, Palestinians inspired by how social networking sites helped to mobilize demonstrators in Egypt and Tunisia created two pages on Facebook over the weekend, one urging people to rebel against the Islamic militant rulers of Gaza, and the other against the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
By mid-Monday, several thousand fans had registered for the
anti-Hamas page, Preparations for Al-Karama (Dignity) Revolution in Gaza, which called for mass protests in Gaza after Friday prayers on Feb. 11. The
anti-authority page, Preparations for Revolution against the Zionist-Fatah Authority, called for protests after prayers in the West Bank this Friday, and had attracted a few hundred fans.
While Palestinian officials have said that they do not fear public unrest, it is clear that the demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt have unsettled them. Protests in support of demonstrators in Egypt have been blocked in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Further,
Fateh official Azzam al-Ahmed told Voice of Palestine radio Monday that the
Palestinian Authority in the West Bank was planning for municipal elections. A court ruled in December that the government's decision to postpone elections scheduled for 2010 was made illegally.