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Analysis

BICOM Briefing | The postponement of the Palestinian Elections: Causes and Significance

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Last week Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced that he was postponing the upcoming Palestinian elections this month – the first to be held in 15 years – claiming it was due to the uncertainty over whether Israel would allow Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem to vote.

Whilst Israel did not formally respond to the PA’s request to allow voting in the city, officials stressed that the Israeli government had no interest in thwarting the elections. This BICOM briefing looks at the current controversy over East Jerusalem and how Palestinian elections in the past were conducted in the city. The briefing also highlights other causes for Abbas’s postponement and the concerns from Israel and from the international community.

Read the full briefing as a PDF below.

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