The American approach was rooted in the belief that Palestinians had voted for change, seeking a less corrupt government than Fatah’s, but that they still desired a negotiated peace settlement in the form of a two-state solution, unlike Hamas.4 In reality, Palestinians had voted Hamas in for a number of reasons, including frustration with Fatah’s corruption, resentment at the failed and endless peace talks, Hamas’s reliability in providing welfare services, and indeed its defiant rhetoric against the occupation.
