In this nondescript town of 10,000 people four miles southeast of Jerusalem, a slate of candidates called the Reform Bloc campaigned hard against corruption in the governing Palestinian Authority in last month’s municipal elections, the first for Palestinians in nearly three decades. When the final votes were tallied, the Reform Bloc swept seven of the town council’s 11 seats, including that of the mayor. Today, the government in Obeidiyeh is in the hands of the Islamic Resistance Movement, the radical Islamic organization known as Hamas that is labeled a terrorist group by the U.S. and Israeli governments. The Reform Bloc candidates were all associated with Hamas, local officials and residents say, but adopted a more nondescript name for their slate because they feared attack or arrest by Israeli security forces.Full Story
About OODA Analyst
OODA is comprised of a unique team of international experts capable of providing advanced intelligence and analysis, strategy and planning support, risk and threat management, training, decision support, crisis response, and security services to global corporations and governments.