JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel is bracing for potential violence as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to announce on Thursday the decision to postpone the Palestinian elections, Israel’s Channel 12 reported.
The elections, scheduled for May 22, will be the first Palestinian vote in 15 years.
Abbas is expected to blame the election delay on Israel, which could trigger unrest among Palestinians. Abbas will likely say the vote is postponed over the question of voting rights for Palestinians living in eastern Jerusalem – which Israel considers to be part of its unified capital.
Israel told European ambassadors on Tuesday that it will not prevent Palestinian elections, but has yet to say if it will allow Palestinians living in eastern Jerusalem to vote.
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Abbas’ fractured Fatah is opposed to holding elections without these Jerusalem Arabs because it would mean accepting Israel’s claim to eastern Jerusalem. They also argue it would discriminate against these Palestinians’ rights to hold a vote without them.
But both Israel and Abbas could benefit from the canceled vote because Abbas’ Fatah party is projected to lose power and influence to Hamas – the Islamic terror group governing Gaza.
Israel does not want to see an election that would further empower Hamas in the West Bank – biblical Judea and Samaria, and eastern Jerusalem. And Abbas doesn’t want to lose.
An intelligence official told AP that the Palestinian factions are discussing the formation of a unity government instead that would include Hamas. Meanwhile, Hamas wants the election to go ahead as planned and says it will blame Israel if it doesn’t.
Ahead of Abbas’ expected announcement, the Israeli army’s Southern Command is already preparing for border unrest with the Gaza Strip and is closely monitoring the situation, Channel 12 said.
The report said Abbas already ordered Palestinian security services to be on alert amid concerns of protests or rioting in the West Bank. He also sent two of his senior advisors to Qatar and Egypt to ask the countries to pressure Hamas to reduce tensions.
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