EU Pledges To Influence Israel Over Palestinian Elections In Jerusalem - Palestinian Envoy

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th May, 2021) The European Union has promised to exert pressure on Israel so that the Israeli authorities would agree to holding Palestinian elections in Jerusalem, Palestinian Ambassador to the EU Abdalrahim Alfarra told Sputnik on Saturday.

In late April, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that the first Palestinian national elections in 15 years, scheduled for May 22, would be postponed. Abbas blamed Israel for hindering the vote in East Jerusalem. He said the vote would be postponed until Israel allowed the participation of East Jerusalem Palestinians in the elections.

"Europeans assures us that [they] would further exert pressure on Israel to [ensure] the holding of [Palestinian] elections in Jerusalem. As soon as Israel agree to this, we will set new election dates," Alfarra said.

"The EU has been the most active supporter of the Palestinian elections. But given the fact that they failed to convince the Israelis to agree to the holding of elections in East Jerusalem, they understood this decision [to postpone the elections," the diplomat added.