On January 15th, 2021, the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree to hold the first elections in the country after 15 years. The parliamentary elections are set to be held on May 22nd, while the presidential ballots are expected for July 31st. The two major Palestinian parties, Hamas and Fatah, together with other political forces, agreed on an electoral code during two different meetings held in Cairo in February and March, in an attempt to ensure “transparency and integrity” to the polls. Despite the enthusiasm sparked by the agreement, the electoral process has been endangered by the uncertainty surrounding the electoral participation of East Jerusalem’s citizens. Although both Fatah and Hamas have announced that the elections will not take place if East Jerusalem’s citizens are not allowed to vote, on April 25th a Palestinian official said Israel “did not respond positively” to the request to permit the vote. In an attempt to stir international attention on the issue, the Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad al-Maliki recently visited various European capitals, achieving the EU’s call on Israel to facilitate the elections across all of the Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. Against this backdrop tension has been growing all over the country, as demonstrated by the last days’ clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians in Jerusalem’s Old Town. Will the Palestinian elections be able to take place in a smooth and orderly manner? Will Israel change its attitude and decide to cooperate to ensure a smooth electoral path? How will the results of the elections impact Palestine’s relations with Israel, the US and the EU?
