The official spokesman for the US State Department, Ned Price, said Thursday in response to a question regarding President Mahmoud Abbas’s decision to postpone the Palestinian elections until there is room for Jerusalemites participating in the elections, that his government considers the Palestinian elections a matter. Internally, it has nothing to say.
Price responded to a question regarding the administration’s position on the need to allow Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem to participate in the elections, “We (the Biden administration) believe in an inclusive political process - we remain in our position that democratic elections are a matter that the people and the Palestinian leadership decide, and this is our position on the elections in All over the world ... we never dictate when it comes to elections, when it comes to election results, as long as these elections are free and fair. "
The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced the postponement of the date of holding the legislative elections "until it is guaranteed that they will be held in Jerusalem."
Abbas said in a speech he delivered within the framework of the Palestinian leadership meeting Thursday that "the efforts to hold elections in Jerusalem have so far been rejected," calling on the international community to "continue to pressure Israel to stop its hand from our rights and to commit it to the signed agreements, including our right to elections."
"We will continue to work to achieve national unity, end the division and continue popular resistance, and work to form a government of national unity," he added.
Earlier on Thursday, Abbas had reported that the European Union had informed the Palestinian authorities that the Israelis would not allow Palestinian legislative elections to take place in Jerusalem.
Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem previously participated in the Palestinian elections in the years 1996, 2005 and 2006 under special arrangements agreed upon between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
In February, the Palestinian Authority informed Israel of its decision to hold elections, including in Jerusalem, calling on them not to obstruct them.
Washington - Said Erekat-4/30/2021
In response to a question regarding the decision of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to postpone the Palestinian elections until there is room for Jerusalemites to participate in the elections, the US State Department spokesman, Ned Price, said Thursday that his government considers the Palestinian elections an internal matter, and it has nothing to say.
Price responded to a question regarding the administration’s position on the need to allow Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem to participate in the elections, “We (the Biden administration) believe in an inclusive political process - we remain in our position that democratic elections are a matter that the people and the Palestinian leadership decide, and this is our position on the elections in All over the world ... we never dictate when it comes to elections, when it comes to election results, as long as these elections are free and fair. "
The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced the postponement of the date of holding the legislative elections "until it is guaranteed that they will be held in Jerusalem."
Abbas said in a speech he delivered within the framework of the Palestinian leadership meeting Thursday that "the efforts to hold elections in Jerusalem have so far been rejected," calling on the international community to "continue to pressure Israel to stop its hand from our rights and to commit it to the signed agreements, including our right to elections."
"We will continue to work to achieve national unity, end the division and continue popular resistance, and work to form a government of national unity," he added.
Earlier on Thursday, Abbas had reported that the European Union had informed the Palestinian authorities that the Israelis would not allow Palestinian legislative elections to take place in Jerusalem.
Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem previously participated in the Palestinian elections in the years 1996, 2005 and 2006 under special arrangements agreed upon between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
In February, the Palestinian Authority informed Israel of its decision to hold elections, including in Jerusalem, calling on them not to obstruct them.
