Yesterday, it became official: The Palestinian Authority has "delayed" the planned legislative elections, as the ruling Fatah party has split into three different lists and Hamas is poised to win the plurality of seats.
“Faced with this difficult situation, we decided to postpone the date of holding legislative elections until the participation of Jerusalem and its people in these elections is guaranteed,” Abbas said. “There will be no concession on Jerusalem and no concession on our people in Jerusalem exercising their democratic rights.”Sure - stop millions of people from voting because a few thousand might have to travel a few miles to cast their votes!
Even mainstream media sees the Jerusalem issue as a mere pretext, but the official Palestinian Authority news agency is spinning like a top.
Abbas, when he made his announcement, added something to ensure that he can avoid elections forever: "We emphasized that holding the elections must include all Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem, including candidates, voting and electoral campaigning."
Israel has never allowed Palestinian campaigning in Jerusalem, and the Oslo accords do not require that. Abbas is adding a poison pill to the elections, in case Israel (on its own or under pressure from Europe) officially announces that it will allow ballot boxes in post offices as in the past. Abbas can point to the lack of campaigning in Jerusalem as a reason to cancel the elections altogether.
Abbas appealed for "unity" while telling other parties that if he can't win, he'll take away the ball.
Abbas also added, "It is Jerusalem the basis of our existence and the jewel of our crown, for which thousands of martyrs, wounded and prisoners have fallen, and for which we will not give up a grain of dust from its pure soil."
Funny, the Palestinians were OK with Jordan ruling Jerusalem before 1967. No Palestinian Arab ever referred to Jerusalem as "Palestinian" during those 19 years.
Meanwhile, the secretary of the Fatah movement in Jerusalem, Shadi Mutour, said that the Arabs celebrating Israel removing the barriers at Damascus Gate were really making a statement that they don't want elections at all unless they can vote. "Everyone came out to say no elections without Jerusalem, because elections without Jerusalem are the embodiment of the occupation’s policy of Judaizing it."
