Detention of Jerusalem candidates threatens Palestinian poll
by The Associated Press
Last Updated Apr 17, 2021 at 3:58 pm EDT
JERUSALEM Israeli briefly detained three Jerusalem-based candidates for Palestinian legislative elections on Saturday, deepening a dispute over whether banning Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem from voting in next month’s polls could derail them.
The three candidates represent factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization who planned a press conference in a Jerusalem hotel to call for the need to press Israel into allowing political activities in the eastern part of the city, reported the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa.
In briefly detaining the candidates, Israel appears to be signalling it will not tolerate Palestinian political activity in east Jerusalem. It has not said whether it will or will not allow Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem to vote in the election.
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U.S. and Israel wary of potential Hamas win in Palestinian elections
Checking the electoral roles in Hebron, West Bank. Photo: Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty
Both the Biden administration and the Israeli government are concerned about a potential Hamas victory in the upcoming Palestinian elections, but neither will say so publicly so as not to be blamed for trying to sabotage the vote, Israeli officials tell me.
Driving the news: In a call last Friday with Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi stressed that Israel wouldn t put any obstacles in the way of the vote, but raised concerns that divisions within President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party could pave the way for a Hamas win.
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April 1, 2021 Share
A popular Palestinian leader imprisoned by Israel has registered his own parliamentary list in May elections, his supporters said Wednesday, in a last-minute shakeup that could severely weaken President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party and help its militant Hamas rivals.
Marwan Barghouti’s wife, Fadwa, registered the list hours before the deadline set by the election commission. Polls indicate it would split the vote for Fatah, potentially paving the way for another major victory by Hamas. That increases the likelihood that Abbas will find a way to call off the first Palestinian elections in 15 years.
Barghouti, 61, a former Fatah militant commander, is serving five life sentences in Israel following a 2004 terrorism conviction. But he remains a popular and charismatic leader, and by breaking with Abbas he could reshape Palestinian politics and potentially replace him as president.