Delegations from Jordan and Egypt put pressure on Abu Mazen to cancel elections to the Palestinian Authority • The excuse: Israel prevents East Jerusalem residents from voting • Commentary
Abu Mazen votes in the 2005 Ramallah City Council elections
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Al-Aruri
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Arafat's grave in Muqata
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The question of whether the elections to the Palestinian Authority will indeed be held does not yet have a clear answer. However, there are growing speculations that in light of the split in Fatah - which split into three different parties in the face of the united Hamas list, which has the support of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad whose representatives decided to boycott the elections and not run - and in the face of dismal polls In both the presidential and Palestinian parliamentary elections, the chief will find the excuse to declare acceptance with the international community that there is no point in holding elections as long as Israel does not allow them to be held in East Jerusalem, and prevents Palestinian East Jerusalem residents from celebrating Palestinian Authority democracy.
It is not for nothing that in recent days Palestinian officials such as Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malachi have begun to point the finger of blame at Israel, which is working in every way to torpedo and thwart the Palestinian Authority election through various bans, from rejecting the Palestinian Election Commission's request. Senior members of the Muqata said that Israel had sent messages to foreign observers from Europe who were supposed to monitor the purity of the election, that it would prevent them from entering the PA's territories due to the restrictions of the global corona plague.
Quite a few senior Palestinians fully admit that canceling the parliamentary and presidential elections, pointing the finger of blame at Israel, is an ideal ladder for Abu Mazen to get off the tree, continue the iron fist rule he has been leading for 15 years and turn the arrows of criticism at Israel.
However, in closed-door talks, senior members of the Muqata emphasize that the situation is much more complex, and that in fact the rejection of the Palestinian Election Commission's request is ironically a lifeline to Abu Mazen.
It is not only in Israel that they fear a sweeping Hamas victory.
Recently, there have been increasing reports of visits to Ramallah by delegations of senior figures in the intelligence and security services of Jordan and Egypt, who are putting pressure on Abu Mazen to work to cancel the election.
These pressures are exerted by senior Egyptian and Jordanian intelligence officials fearing Hamas' rise to power, along with the blatant lack of interest of US President Joe Biden and senior government officials in the planned Palestinian Authority elections and the lack of impression of the US President-elect in Washington. Abu Mazen announces that despite "Palestinian adherence and determination in the elections," there is no point in holding them when Israel prevents Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem from exercising their right to vote.
Still, it is good that Israel can be blamed and disclaimed responsibility.