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Israel Detains 3 Palestinian Election Candidates in Jerusalem

16 April 2021, Palestinian Territories, Jerusalem: Palestinian and Israeli activists gather in front of Israeli settlers house during a demonstration against the expulsion of Palestinian families from their homes, in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Photo: Jamal Awad/APA Images
16 April 2021, Palestinian Territories, Jerusalem: Palestinian and Israeli activists gather in front of Israeli settlers house during a demonstration against the expulsion of Palestinian families from their homes, in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Photo: Jamal Awad/APA Images
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Israel Detains 3 Palestinian Election Candidates in Jerusalem

16 April 2021, Palestinian Territories, Jerusalem: Palestinian and Israeli activists gather in front of Israeli settlers house during a demonstration against the expulsion of Palestinian families from their homes, in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Photo: Jamal Awad/APA Images
16 April 2021, Palestinian Territories, Jerusalem: Palestinian and Israeli activists gather in front of Israeli settlers house during a demonstration against the expulsion of Palestinian families from their homes, in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Photo: Jamal Awad/APA Images

Israeli police arrested three Palestinian activists, who were planning to hold a news conference ahead of the election for the Palestinian Authority’s legislative assembly, scheduled for May.

Palestinians saw the arrest that took place in East Jerusalem as a measure to undermine Palestinian democracy and an indication that Israel intends to ban the elections in Jerusalem.

The Israeli intelligence informed the management of St. George Hotel Jerusalem that any activity belonging to the Palestinian Authority is banned and handed them a decision from the Israeli Minister of Public Security which bans any PA-related activity there, according to WAFA.

Fatah movement decried the arrest of the three candidates - Ashraf A’war, Nasser Qous, and Ratiba Natsha - and the ban of the press conference.

Fatah movement spokesman Osama al-Qawasmi stated that the practices of Israel in Jerusalem reflect a fascist, racist and oppressive policy.

He stressed the stance of the movement that Jerusalem is the political capital of Palestinians.

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Lebanon Elects Joseph Aoun as New President

The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
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Lebanon Elects Joseph Aoun as New President

The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)
The Lebanese Parliament building a day before a session to elect the Lebanese president, in Beirut, Lebanon, 08 January 2025. (EPA)

In a landmark decision, Lebanon elected on Thursday Joseph Aoun as its new president, following a prolonged period of political gridlock and instability. 
The election of Joseph Aoun, who previously served as the head of the Lebanese Army, comes after more than two years without a president, during which Lebanon faced a series of crises, including economic collapse and widespread protests.

Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri adjourned Thursday's session to elect a president for two hours of consultations, after a first round of voting failed to produce enough votes for Aoun.
Aoun needs 86 votes to be elected but received 71. Two political sources said he was likely to cross the 86-vote threshold in a second session on Thursday.

Lawmakers began the session amid expectations it could see Aoun elected as president following a vacancy of more than two years.
The 128-lawmaker chamber, which has failed to reach consensus a dozen times amid tensions between the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and its opponents, started discussions at 11:00 am (0900 GMT).
Aoun, no relation to the former president, is widely seen as the preferred candidate of the United States, whose assistance Lebanon will need as it seeks to rebuild after a 14-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah previously backed another candidate, Suleiman Franjieh, the leader of Marada movement with close ties to former Syrian President Bashar Assad.
However, on Wednesday, Franjieh announced he had withdrawn from the race and endorsed Aoun, apparently clearing the way for the army chief.
Lebanon’s fractious sectarian power-sharing system is prone to deadlock, both for political and procedural reasons. The small, crisis-battered Mediterranean country has been through several extended presidential vacancies, with the longest lasting nearly 2 1/2 years between May 2014 and October 2016. It ended when former President Michel Aoun was elected.
As a sitting army commander, Joseph Aoun is technically barred from becoming president by Lebanon's constitution. The ban has been waived before, but it means that Aoun faces additional procedural hurdles.
Under normal circumstances, a presidential candidate in Lebanon can be elected by a two-thirds majority of the 128-member house in the first round of voting, or by a simple majority in a subsequent round.
But because of the constitutional issues surrounding his election, Aoun would need a two-thirds majority even in the second round.
Other contenders include Jihad Azour, a former finance minister who is now the director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund; and Elias al-Baysari, the acting head of Lebanon’s General Security agency.
A president is needed to appoint a permanent prime minister and cabinet. The caretaker government that has run Lebanon for the last two years has reduced powers because it was not appointed by a sitting president.
The next government will face daunting challenges apart from implementing the ceasefire agreement that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war and seeking funds for reconstruction.
Lebanon is six years into an economic and financial crisis that decimated the country's currency and wiped out the savings of many Lebanese. The cash-strapped state electricity company provides only a few hours of power a day.
The country's leaders reached a preliminary agreement with the IMF for a bail-out package in 2022 but have made limited progress on reforms required to clinch the deal.