Palestinian election board approves candidate lists for May vote
Al-Jazeera / April 4, 2021
Palestinian electoral commission announces approval of 36 candidate lists for May 22 legislative polls.
Palestinian election officials have announced that 36 candidate lists have been approved to run in legislative elections set for next month, the first Palestinian polls in 15 years.
The vote, which...
State Department buries Israeli occupation in word salad
Michael F. Brown
The Electronic Intifada / April 2, 2021
Last year, presidential candidate Joe Biden personally intervened to keep the word “occupation” out of the Democratic Party’s platform regarding Israel.
In doing so, he infuriated a portion of the party’s base – a group Biden and his advisers presumably figured would dislike President Donald Trump and his...
[planning aggression] Israel considers possibility of devastating attack by Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq
Middle East Monitor / April 3, 2021
The Institute for National Security Studies has speculated in a report entitled Nothing Remains the Same that Israel is assessing the possibility that major cities and strategic sites will be hard-hit by precision rockets from various fronts.
Brigadier Major-General Udi Dekel, who prepared the report, has...
Israel warns it ‘will stop everything’ if Hamas wins parliamentary elections
Middle East Monitor / April 3, 2021
Head of Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Kamil Abu Rukun has warned that Israel "will stop everything" if Hamas wins the upcoming parliamentary elections, the Times of Israel reported.
In an interview with Israeli public broadcaster Kan, he said: "That, at least,...
Palestine factions criticise Nasser Al-Qudwa over ‘offensive’ remarks
Middle East Monitor / April 3, 2021
Palestinian factions on Saturday criticised the "offensive" remarks made by dismissed Fatah official Nasser al-Qudwa who claimed that everyone has problems with Islamic political movements.
In an interview with French TV, Al-Qudwa claimed: "Everyone has problems with Islamic political movements or political Islam."
The...
Fatah assures members after no agreement reached on united electoral list
Middle East Monitor / April 3, 2021
Member of Fatah's Central Committee Rawhi Fattouh called on Fatah members and supporters not to fear the fragmentation of the main Palestinian secular movement after no agreement was reached on a united electoral list.
Two days after registering Fatah's list, Fattouh posted on Facebook:...
Hamas ready to form coalition government
Middle East Monitor / April 3, 2021
The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas announced on Friday that it is ready to form a coalition government after the parliamentary election.
Speaking to Al-Jazeera Mubasher TV, Hamas official Ismail Ridwan stated: "Even if Hamas won the majority of the seats in parliament, it would...
Nine Fatah candidates withdraw from movement’s electoral list
Middle East Monitor / April 2, 2021
As many as nine members of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement – Fatah – withdrew on Thursday from the movement's electoral list for parliamentary elections just as the Central Elections Commission closed registration for the polls.
Fatah candidate in Gaza, Riad al-Astal,...
US reaffirms position that West Bank is occupied territory
Middle East Monitor / April 2, 2021
The US State Department has reaffirmed its position which considers the West Bank as territory occupied by Israel.
"It is a historical fact that Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza, and the Golan Heights after the 1967 War," State Department spokesman Ned...
Saudi foreign minister says normalisation with Israel would bring ‘tremendous benefits’
MEE Staff
Middle East Eye / April 2, 2021
But Faisal bin Farhan pours cold water on prospects of a detente any time soon, saying a Palestinian state must be established.
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan has said that a normalisation deal with Israel would be "extremely helpful" and bring...
