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Palestine stocking up on souvenirs for Israel's pullout

The battle between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas over who will get credit for the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip is being fought in print shops, flag factories and back alley sewing workshops. The Palestinian Authority has commissioned tens of thousands of national flags as well as mugs, bumper stickers and posters with the slogan "Today Gaza, tomorrow the West Bank and Jerusalem" -- props for planned mass celebrations meant to portray the pullout as an achievement of the Abbas government.

Hamas is striking back, preparing for military-style victory parades. Hamas supporters are sewing thousands of martial uniforms and flags in the group's trademark Islamic green and activists are buying up privately owned jeeps and pickup trucks to lead the marches.

Hamas, increasingly popular because of disaffection with government corruption and chaos, could make an even stronger showing in upcoming parliament elections if seen as the liberator of Gaza. That image could be reinforced if Hamas militants fire on Israeli soldiers and settlers during next month's pullout. Hamas has claimed all along that its shooting, bombing and rocket attacks during the past five years of fighting have forced the Israelis out.

In a survey of 1,320 Palestinians last month by the independent Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, 72 percent said Israel was driven out of Gaza by militant attacks.

However, the Palestinian Authority could make a comeback if it quickly delivers some achievements after the pullout, winning some freedom of movement for Gazans and creating jobs. Much depends on Israel's willingness to coordinate the pullout; some say they're dawdling.

"We are still in the middle of the competition," said Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi, adding that Israel is undermining Abbas by delaying decisions on crucial issues, such as establishing a passage between Gaza and the West Bank, and new rules for border crossings.

Banners and posters of militant groups have been banned from public places. Shop shutters and walls of houses across Gaza are covered with political graffiti and posters of gun-toting militants.

The Palestinian Authority is spending US$1.7 million on withdrawal celebrations. A Gaza City flag shop is sewing about 200,000 Palestinian flags. "They want the whole country to be carrying Palestinian flags," said the owner, Tareq Abu Daya.

For the victory rallies, the government will give away 128,000 pairs of blue jeans along with white T-shirts, either with Palestinian flags or pictures of the late Yasser Arafat. Posters, caps, mugs and bumper stickers are being printed with slogans such as, "The people liberate, the people rebuild" and "Our land is returning to us, so let's protect it" -- all meant to portray the pullout as an achievement of the people, not a faction.
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