January 15, 2021
THANKFULLY, THIS TIME WE'LL RECOGNIZE THE HAMAS WIN:
Abbas Decrees First Palestinian Elections in 15 Years (Associated Press, January 15, 2021)
The 2006 election victory by Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by Israel and Western countries, led to heavy international pressure being placed on the Palestinian Authority. Clashes between Fatah and Hamas raged for more than a year, culminating in Hamas' 2007 takeover of the Gaza Strip, which it still controls despite a crippling Israeli-Egyptian blockade and three wars with Israel.Abbas' Palestinian Authority is confined to the occupied West Bank, where it administers major population centers according to agreements with Israel. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 war, territories the Palestinians want for their future state.The decree sets a timeline in which legislative elections would be held on May 22, followed by presidential elections on July 31 -- the first since Abbas was elected to a four-year term in 2005. Elections for the National Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which represents the Palestinian cause internationally, would be held August 31.
Marwan Barghouti is the natural choice for Palestine's first president given his acceptance by both Hamas and Fatah.
Posted by Orrin Judd at January 15, 2021 5:58 PM