Israel accuses Palestinian president of ‘fooling’ world with election delay

Israel’s foreign minister on Friday accused Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas of “fooling the international community” by planning to postpone upcoming legislative polls, as indications of a delay multiply.

Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA) has not yet officially announced a postponement of the elections, which are due to take place on Nov 28. But many Palestinians expect them to be delayed or cancelled, as happened in 2021.

“Mahmoud Abbas is fooling the international community by cancelling once again promised elections,” Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar wrote on X.

“They keep deceiving. Consequences? Not for the corrupt PA!” he added.

The last legislative elections in the Palestinian territories were held two decades ago, and holding polls is part of the reforms demanded by the international community, including the European Union.

Palestinian factions including Abbas’ Fatah and its rival Hamas have agreed to hold a “national dialogue” before legislative elections in November, with a source telling AFP on Thursday that the factions were seeking to postpone the vote.

Citing a PA source earlier in October, Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported that Israel had refused to allow Palestinian election officials access to east Jerusalem or Gaza ahead of the polls, increasing concerns that the vote will be postponed.

In early September, top Palestinian official Jibril Rajoub told reporters the November elections would not be held on time.

Rajoub, secretary-general of Fatah, said holding presidential elections first “would solve a large part of the problem”.

The last legislative elections in the Palestinian territories were held in 2006, when Islamist movement Hamas won. They defeated Fatah, which dominates the Palestinian Authority.

The ensuring rift set off a round of factional fighting, with Hamas later seizing power in the Gaza Strip and creating a territorial divide between Fatah in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza.

As a result, the Palestinian Legislative Council, which is the PA’s parliament, has not met since 2007.

Abbas won the last Palestinian presidential election in 2005, and his term should have expired in 2009, but he has since ruled by decree.

In June, the 90-year-old leader signed a decree providing for a presidential election to be held at the beginning of 2027.

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