In a meeting with 13 European ambassadors, the Israeli chief of staff claimed that they had no intention of interfering in or obstructing the Palestinian election, saying that they had left the matter to the Palestinian Authority.
Despite numerous reports of Israeli efforts to cancel or postpone the Palestinian elections, as well as to prevent Hamas from participating, the State Department claimed that it did not intend to interfere in the elections.
Today (Tuesday), Israeli Foreign Minister Alon Bar, in a meeting with 13 European ambassadors, told them that Tel Aviv was not trying to cancel the Palestinian elections and expected countries to do so. Europeans should not join the accusations made by the head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.
Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed reported yesterday that Ghassan Aliyan, the Zionist regime’s coordinator in the occupied territories, had verbally informed the Palestinian Authority’s Minister of Civil Affairs that Tel Aviv would not accept the holding of elections in occupied Jerusalem.
“During the meeting, European diplomats said they wanted Israel to allow a panel of European observers to enter the West Bank and Gaza Strip to monitor the elections,” the sources told Valla News. “Alon Barr did not give them a clear answer.”
The report further claims: “Israel’s chief of staff told European diplomats that Israel had made a conscious decision not to refer to the PA elections in any way, so it would allow Abbas to make his own decisions,” he said. “Israel has not even made a decision on the issue of elections in East Jerusalem.”
Accordingly, Alon Barr claimed in talks with European diplomats: “In Israel‘s view, Abbas tried to postpone the election for fear of Hamas winning the election. If Abbas blames Israel for not holding Palestinian elections, you should not involve yourself in these allegations.”
Meanwhile, Palestinian sources reported today that Palestinian groups led by the head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, will meet on Thursday to discuss the postponement of the Palestinian elections.
Zionist circles predict that Hamas will get 40 percent of the vote and the Fatah movement will get 60 percent; but the experience of 2006 showed that, contrary to Zionist predictions, Hamas could win the election.
After a 15-year hiatus, the Palestinian parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 22, 2021, the presidential elections on July 31, 1400, and the National Assembly elections on August 31 (September 9) in Palestine.