The shocking outcome of the January 25 Palestinian legislative election has brought Hamas into power. The same party that has sponsored numerous acts of terrorism, espouses hateful rhetoric toward Israel and the US and adheres to a charter (Documents) that denies Israel?s right to exist has proven to be a democratic juggernaut. Participating for the first time on a national level, Hamas? victory was overwhelming; in winning 77 out of 132 seats, they have secured a parliamentary bloc that can effectively run the Palestinian Authority. Fatah , the secular party of Yasser Arafat and the dominant presence in Palestinian politics over the last 30 years, has been democratically removed from power. The one-sided election results have surprised both political parties, as well as Israel, the US, and the international community. With their history of political violence, ideological connections to the Muslim Brotherhood , and strong ties with Tehran and Damascus, Hamas? victory is a discouraging development for Western policymakers. And, while the knee-jerk, and potentially forthright, posture is to disengage from a Hamas-led Palestinian government, a careful review of the election and its ramifications elicits alternate options.

Hamas? dominating performance was due primarily to Fatah?s incompetence. For the majority of Palestinians, a vote for Hamas was a protest vote against Fatah?s almost complete breakdown in governance. Their rule was marked by corruption, an inability to improve overall economic standing or deliver basic services, and the failure to gain concessions from Israel. Hamas, in turn, has earned a reputation for transparency and efficiency, building hospitals and schools and running an honest government at the municipal level. Indeed, they ran as the ?Change and Reform? Party, offering the secular benefits of social services, law and order, and honest government while downplaying their radical aggression toward Israel and strict beliefs in Islamic law and culture. Hamas? popularity in Palestinian polls had traditionally hovered between 20% and 30%; a significant portion of the electorate turned to Hamas as a way of censuring Fatah and because of the religious party?s emphasis on providing honest governance.