Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh confirmed Monday that the Palestinian leadership plans to discuss upcoming general elections on Thursday but gave no additional information about the expected talks.
Shtayyeh’s announcement came a few hours after Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas headed a meeting for Fatah's Central Committee and stated that no vote will be held without Jerusalem.
Other than reaffirming that there will be no general elections without the participation of residents in East Jerusalem, Abbas added that the city is a “red line” for Palestinians and praised the steadfastness of Jerusalemites amid Israeli aggression on the occupied city.
Abbas called on the international community to pressure Israel into complying with agreements signed regarding the electoral process.
The president’s position greatly enhances the chances of elections getting cancelled during Thursday’s meeting.
Moreover, the PA has informed Egypt and other international parties of its intention to call off elections until further notice, according to Israel’s Army Radio, which also predicted that Ramallah would issue an official statement on the matter within the next two days.
Asharq Al-Awsat had previously reported about President Abbas’s intentions to postpone the May 22 parliamentary elections before election campaigns even start.
While informed sources confirmed that the decision to delay elections has already been taken, they noted that the postponement would be discussed more widely on Thursday.
Despite being invited to join the leadership’s conversation, Hamas increasingly opposes any postponement, however small.
Khalil al-Hayya, who heads Hamas’s slate of candidates for next month’s elections, said that recent events in Jerusalem prove that Palestinians can force Israel to allow elections there.
“Jerusalem is making new strides towards taking a new position in the confrontation with the occupation,” al-Hayya noted.
A few days ago, al-Hayya warned that postponement “will generate great frustration among the masses and youth, complicate the situation and perpetuate division.”
