Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that he was fully committed to holding the elections on time in all the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
During a meeting of the Fatah Central Committee, he said that the Palestinian leadership is holding contacts with several countries, specifically the US and the European Union, to exert pressure on the Israeli government to abide by the signed agreements regarding the electoral process in Jerusalem.
“Until now, we haven’t received a reply from Israel,” he noted.
After the meeting, the committee issued a statement calling on the US, EU, Russia, and China to exert pressure on Israel to allow the elections to take place in Jerusalem.
“The Palestinian people will not accept any veto by the occupation regarding the participation of our people in Jerusalem in the elections,” the statement read.
“Jerusalem and its people are a red line that cannot be harmed or tampered with.”
In this regard, Head of Hamas political bureau Ismail Haniyeh called Abbas to discuss developments concerning the elections.
Also, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki kicked off Sunday a visit to several European capitals to discuss the Palestinian elections scheduled for next month, his office said in a statement.
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell reiterated the EU’s strong support for the holding of elections across all of the Palestinian territory, including in East Jerusalem.
“Inclusive, accountable, and functioning democratic Palestinian institutions, based on respect for the rule of law and human rights are vital for the two-state solution. The EU is willing to do all that it can to support this important process, including through its continued assistance to the Central Elections Commission,” he said.