After arresting number of candidates, Israel ignores EU request to monitor Palestinian elections

The European Union announced today, Sunday, that Israel has not responded to a delegation’s request to enter Palestine to monitor the upcoming parliamentary elections. It came a day after the occupation police arrested a number of candidates running for the Palestinian Legislative Council (Parliament) in occupied Jerusalem.

“What is required of Israel – according to the agreements signed with the Palestinians, including the Oslo agreement of 1995 – is to facilitate the holding of elections, including the arrival and movement of observers, such as stipulated, ”said the media official at the office of the representative of the European Union in Palestine.

He added that Israel had not responded to a request to participate in a European preparatory mission, in view of the observation of the Palestinian elections scheduled for next May.

“Until the moment (this Sunday afternoon), Israel has not given an answer to the entry of the preparatory mission, which consists of 4 people,” he added.

He stressed that attempts are continuing to get a response as soon as possible, announcing work on other options in case the response is rejected.

He explained that the task of the preparatory mission is the logistical preparation and the necessary arrangements to participate in another extended mission (no request for assistance has yet been submitted).

And he added that “the expanded mission is supposed to be in Palestine one week before election day, and includes a number of MEPs and European experts”.

In this context, the Undersecretary of the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Amal Jadu Shaka, said that a delegation led by Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki today began a tour of a number from European countries, including Belgium, Great Britain and Spain, to talk about the obstacles that the occupation puts before the elections. Publicity

In her interview with the (official) Voice of Palestine radio, she explained that the tour would continue until next Thursday, interspersed with meetings with a number of foreign ministers and EU officials, led by the relations commissioner. of the European Union Josep Borrell.

He said the most important issues raised were the violations committed by the Israeli side aimed at obstructing and preventing the elections in Jerusalem, and the measures it had taken against candidates in the city. https://www.youtube.com/embed/0lwx_YJu5y4?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=ar&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

Candidates arrested

Yesterday, Saturday, Israeli police arrested 3 candidates in the Palestinian legislative elections in Jerusalem, after preventing a press conference for Palestinian factions on the elections.

To date, Israel has not responded to a Palestinian request to hold elections in Jerusalem under the agreed mechanisms, according to which previous elections were held in the city in 1996, 2005 and 2006.

And press sources in Jerusalem reported that the Israeli police blocked the press conference by candidates of the Palestinian Democratic Union (FDA), the Palestinian People’s Party and the Fatah movement, for the parliamentary elections scheduled for in. next May, and the police arrested 3 candidates.

The sources said that the holding of the conference was aimed at confirming the candidates of the city of Jerusalem on their position on the need to hold elections in the city and the mechanisms of participation of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

The detainees – according to journalist Christine Rinawi, official correspondent for Palestinian television – are Ashraf Al-Awar and Nasir Qus, the two candidates from the movement’s list (Fatah), and Ratiba Natsheh from the Palestinian Democratic Union’s list ( FDA).

Last week, occupation forces arrested 4 candidates running for the Legislative Council, namely Hassan Al-Wardian from Bethlehem (south) and Najeh Asi from Ramallah (center).

The occupation also arrested Ghada Abu Rabee ‘of Jerusalem, candidate for Fatah’s “The Storm” list, and Zahir Kamil of Jenin (north), candidate for the independent “Pulse of the Country” list, who was later released. .

The Palestinians accede to East Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for state, on the basis of resolutions of international legitimacy which do not recognize the occupation of the city by Israel in 1967, nor its annexation in 1981.

Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem – especially those affiliated with the Palestinian Authority – are subject to severe control by the Israeli authorities over their activities and activities. A number of them have been closed in recent years, and the most important of these is Palestine TV.