Mahmoud Abbas has been president of the Palestinian Authority for 16 years and in its name, he rules over the Palestinian population in Judea and Samaria. Thus far, however, he has vigorously avoided holding elections and doesn't feel he needs them to win legitimacy in the eyes of the world or his subjects.
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It was always possible to blame Israel for impeding such elections. But truth be told, Abbas himself didn't want them and even feared them. After all, the last elections, in 2006, were calamitous for him and the Palestinians in general.
Similar to other Middle Eastern societies, both unaccustomed to and unprepared for the democratic process, in the Palestinian case, too, the Hamas movement won the majority, paving its path to seize control of the Gaza Strip. Today, the IDF and Israel's other security forces are essentially the ones blocking Hamas from taking Abbas' seat in Ramallah. Abbas is well aware of this fact. Now, however, he has altered course and even reached an agreement with Hamas, albeit a rather suspicious one.
First, we can hardly assume Abbas has started believing Hamas and trusting it. Second, the Palestinian population doesn't appear overly eager or even interested in these elections. And regardless there is no pressure from the ground level to hold them.
Abbas will celebrate his 86th birthday this year, which isn't the age one begins a new political career or goes to elections. And generally speaking, in the Palestinian Authority, similar to other parts of the Arab world, leaders aren't chosen in elections rather behind the scenes and sometimes after violent, bloody power struggles. Such elections are for appearance only and even fake, meant to give legitimacy to the leader after he has already won power.
It's possible the election announcement was intended for the ears of the new tenant in the White House, with the aim of ushering in a new era of relations between the Palestinians and Washington. Indeed, Biden's administration will likely be more receptive to the well-rehearsed and false presentation of democracy Abbas will attempt to sell it.
Either way, these declared elections in the Palestinian Authority pose a dilemma for Israel. In 2006, under pressure from the friendly administration of George W. Bush, Israel allowed Hamas to run, despite the terrorist organization's refusal to recognize the Oslo Accords. The results are known, and this time Israel cannot fall into the same trap or succumb to similar pressure.
At any rate, it's doubtful they will be held. But even if the Palestinians do head to the voting stations, these elections, at the very most, might change some of the faces we have grown accustomed to seeing but certainly won't bring about any real change on the ground.
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