Famed Palestinian militant leader Marwan Barghouti could mount one of the most serious challenges to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in upcoming elections, after he announced formation of a “Freedom” list alongside Nasser Al Qudwa, a nephew of Yasser Arafat and veteran Palestinian diplomat.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday that the upcoming elections would not take place so long as Palestinians in East Jerusalem are unable to vote in them. His comments come amid a resurgence in Palestinian protests in the city as well as in Gaza.
According to The New Arab, Abbas said Sunday evening at a meeting of the Fatah Central Committee in Ramallah that the roughly 164,000 Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, which Israel has illegally annexed in violation of international law, were not dispensable in the elections, which would be the first such votes since 2006.
Mahmoud Abbas
Abbas’ position isn’t exactly new – he’s demanded East Jerusalem’s inclusion since November 2019, amid negotiations with the Hamas-led unity government in Gaza, which he also said must be included in any future vote. A sharp divide in 2006, after Hamas won elections in Gaza, split the Palestinians into two factions that have yet to bury the hatchet enough for new elections to be held.
Of the roughly 314,000 Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, only 150,000 live in the outskirts beyond the separation wall, where the PA holds sway. As a result, the election activities of the majority of Palestinian East Jerusalemites can be disrupted by Israel, as it has been in the past and as they have attempted this time as well. Earlier this month, Israeli police arrested three West Bank candidates for Hamas, which Israel considers a terrorist organization.
“It is very important that everyone who is entitled to participate, every Palestinian in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, is able to cast his or her vote,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a Thursday press conference.
Israeli police officers stand next to a burning barricade during clashes, as the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan continues, in Jerusalem, April 22, 2021
Fatah’s decision also comes amid a series of demonstrations in Jerusalem and in Gaza. Last week, an Israeli mob in Jerusalem attacked Palestinians and anyone judged to have an “Arabic accent,” chanting “death to Arabs” and ransacking several homes. Then, just days later, a Palestinian protest saw more than 100 people injured by Israeli police, including 22 people sent to hospitals, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
While Israel has boasted of some of the highest official COVID-19 vaccination rates in the world for its citizens, inside of Gaza, which has been besieged by Israel since 2009 and largely cut off from the world, COVID-19 is continuing to rage, with more than 1,000 new cases being reported each day for the last several weeks. According to aid workers, just a few thousand vaccines have been sent to protect a population of more than two million living in one of the most densely-populated areas on Earth.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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