Palestine President Mahmud Abbas announces first national elections in 15 years

contested State of Palestine is all set to hold its national elections in 15 long years. Speaking at a recent press briefing, state President Mahmud Abbas revealed that legislative polls would be held on May 22 while a presidential vote would take place on July 31. Palestine, since late Arab-Israel war has been torn in what experts call world’s most intractable conflict between Israeli regime and Palestine’s Abbas led administration.

Read: Sparse Trees, Little Work For Woodcutters In Squeezed Gaza

Politics in Palestine  

state of Palestine is sharply divided between Abbas’s Fatah party which controls authority in occupied West Bank and Hamas group which yields power in Gaza Strip. Observers have stated that it is disagreement and rivalry between both faction that has primarily stalled elections. However, Israel and its allies advancing towards interior of Gaza strip, both sides, in September 2020 came to an agreement and decided to hold an election in 2021.

Pertaining to same, Hamas group upheld Presidential decision and called for “free and fair elections" in region. “In recent months, we have worked to overcome obstacles in order to reach this day,” it stated in a statement.  It added that it looked to “free elections in which voters can express mselves without pressure and without restrictions, in all fairness and transparency.”

Read: India Urges Israel, Palestine To Re-eng In Direct Talks To Advance Goal Of Two-state Solution

Palestinian elections come as Israel said that it was w seeking to establish tourist hubs in holy Muslim city of Jerusalem. With reconciliation of Bahrain and UAE’s relations with Israel, Palestinian leaders are seeing dwindling Arab support, which has been lever in ir battle to re-capture West Bank.

While Palestinians have sharply rejected rmalization of reconciliation of relations between Israel and Gulf, small-time traders and shopkeepers have favoured move hoping for some income. “re will be some benefits for Palestinian sector of tourism, and this is what I’m hoping for,” Sami Abu-Dayyeh, a Palestinian businessman in east Jerusalem who owns four hotels and a tourism ncy told AP “Forget about politics, we have to survive.”  prospects of expanded religious tourism are being helped by trade observers who see it as a help to both Isreal and Palestine.

Read: Palestinians Divided As Israel Seeks To Enhance Religious Tourism

Read: 'Turkey Wants Better Ties With Israel But Its Palestine Policy Is Unacceptable': Erdogan