Without elections since 2006, when Hamas won, the Palestinians will have to wait another year to be able to go to the polls after the president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Abu Mazen, has decreed the postponement of the legislative elections scheduled for next November 28.
In this way, and at the expense of a new postponement, on September 11, 2027, the presidential elections will be held simultaneously, which, for their part, have not been held since 2005. Abu Mazen was then chosen to take the reins of the ANP, with administrative headquarters in Ramallah (West Bank), thus taking over from Yasir Arafat, who died in 2004.
The 90-year-old leader of Al Fatah alleged that the necessary conditions for elections in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem are not met and blames Israel for this. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has replied that it is a "lie", and has accused him of being a "corrupt Palestinian dictator who has not held elections in more than 20 years".
In the statement released this Saturday by WAFA (the ANP news agency) on the postponement of the elections approved by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), reference is made to the plan of the Peace Board in the Gaza Strip, endorsed by the UN, after the agreement reached a year ago: "The non-compliance with Resolution 2803 of the United Nations Security Council, the absence of international stabilization forces and Palestinian police in the Gaza Strip, the persistence of the Israeli occupation forces, continued Israeli attacks and insecurity, as well as restrictions preventing access to Gaza by the Central Electoral Commission and local and international observers."
He also noted "the catastrophic conditions in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, where attacks by armed settlers include burning homes, uprooting olive trees, and stealing agricultural products and livestock, all under the protection of Israeli forces."
Calling on the international community to "pressure Israel to lift restrictions on electoral participation in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza," Mazen praised Egypt for "consistently" supporting the Palestinian people and hosting and facilitating recent meetings between various factions under the so-called "Palestinian national dialogue."
"The Cairo meetings had asked to postpone the legislative elections scheduled for November 28, 2026 until next year, in order to allow time for a comprehensive national dialogue and efforts to remove Israeli obstacles to the holding of free, secure, fair and inclusive elections in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza," the statement said.
Hamas supports the postponement
Hamas cites "the absence of the necessary political, security and ground conditions to hold free and fair elections in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem." According to the Islamist group, the postponement "is a step in the right direction that should lead to a serious, broad and fruitful national dialogue." It also declares the "need to rebuild and reform our national institutions."
Abu Mazen's decision to postpone the elections has been described by his staunch internal rival, Mohamed Dahlan, as "a crime against democracy." "It deprives millions of Palestinians of their right to elect their representatives and leaders. The fear of electoral defeat is behind this decision," Dahlan denounced. The former leader of Fatah and "strong man of Gaza" before Hamas took control in 2007 has lived in the United Arab Emirates for many years and maintains a fierce fight with his former leader. His objective was to run in the elections at the head of a broad bloc that includes reformists from Al Fatah, beyond the contacts he maintains for an electoral alliance with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Palestinian political and social activists condemn Israel's actions in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, demand the creation of a Palestinian state and at the same time criticize Mazen and his entourage for "perpetuating himself in power by decree since 2009" and for "corruption."
Given the precedents and the current situation, the decision of the Ramallah leadership, subject to strong internal criticism, to postpone the elections has not caused surprise among the Palestinians. Nor in Israel, where, while some ministers have long demanded the dismantling of the ANP, Saar accuses Mazen of "deceiving the international community once again."
"His attempt to drag Israel into this, falsely claiming that it imposed obstacles to holding elections, is another ridiculous lie designed to evade responsibility and accountability. Just like the other lies about "reforms" that were never implemented - ending payments to terrorists and their families, and stopping incitement in the Palestinian education system -. For more than 20 years, Mazen has been selling the same thing: lies," Saar concludes.
