A poll of Palestinian Authority Arabs finds that support for Yasser Arafat is on the rise. A poll taken by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion after the Israeli decision to "remove" the PA Chairman shows that 73.7% of the PA public support him - more than in previous surveys. The survey also indicated that 56.3% of the PA Arabs support the continuation of the armed conflict with Israel.
The Israeli threat against Arafat has had other consequences as well. The New York Daily News, quoting a Hamas source, says that Israel's threat to evict or possibly kill Yasser Arafat is the reason the terrorist group has held off on recent attacks. "Hamas doesn't want to have a black historical [mark against it] that it was the reason for expelling Arafat," a Hamas member said. Recent Israeli attempts against Hamas leaders, some successful, are the reason the organization has been keeping a low media profile, the paper reports.