The "Expected" Legislative Elections: Will They Be a Lifeline for the Crumbling Palestinian Situation?!

If the visions are correct, intentions are sincere, words are matched with actions, and the train moves on its rightful track, serving the supreme national interests of the Palestinian Arab people, without any hindrances that might disrupt the march, then the third elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council will be held next November, elections long awaited since the last time was twenty years ago. This has led to a kind of legislative chaos in the Palestinian arena, contributing to the collapse of the Palestinian situation on various fronts, a catastrophic state that has devastated the Palestinian condition, a blockage in the horizons, and stagnation in the same place, with a Palestinian Authority and a leadership that has become incapable of meeting even the basic needs or achieving any breakthrough that alleviates the severity of the suffering endured by the simple citizen, whether in Jerusalem, the West Bank, or Gaza Strip. It is a catastrophic humanitarian, economic, political, social, and legislative situation experienced by the sons of the Palestinian Arab people, with some believing that the leadership lives in one valley, while the people live in a distant valley!!

The West Bank and the city of Jerusalem face a severe movement blockade, rampant settlement expansion, land confiscation, and an increasingly overt threat of annexation, with closures, military checkpoints, and iron gates preventing Palestinians from leading their normal lives and obstructing their access to their workplaces. Access to the Islamic and Christian holy sites and basic services has become difficult, and even border crossings, especially with the Jordanian side, particularly the so-called Al-Karama Crossing or King Hussein Bridge, present another crisis and sufferings that lack the minimum levels of dignity for citizens, due to Israeli arbitrary procedures. Economically, there has been an exacerbation of unemployment and poverty rates to unprecedented levels due to the ongoing Israeli siege for decades, restricting the movement of workers and goods and preventing Palestinian workers from working in Israeli facilities, while the public sector suffers from the deterioration of service performance due to years of partial salaries received by employees for more than five years.

As for the Gaza Strip, one cannot overstate the suffering there. It has been ongoing for about three years due to the barbaric US-Israeli aggression, which has targeted lives and properties and every aspect of life. There has been massive destruction of more than two-thirds of buildings and facilities, leading to the displacement of millions of Gazans, hundreds of thousands of martyrs and injured, not to mention the significant deterioration of health infrastructure, the spread of various diseases, and a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies, electricity, and clean water. Meanwhile, the ongoing political and geographical division for nearly 19 years between the West Bank and Gaza Strip casts a dark shadow over the Palestinian Arab people, leading to paralysis in Palestinian life and weakening the political system's ability to manage the crisis, organize the internal house, and create a unified national program.

Additionally, there is the legislative chaos in the Palestinian territories, under the absence of an elected legislative council, which President Mahmoud Abbas dissolved by decree at the end of 2018, widening the gap among Palestinian forces. This has stirred widespread legal and political debate in the Palestinian arena, with opposition forces considering it a political and illegal decision, while the Palestinian Authority justified the move as a necessity to correct the constitutional path due to the council's work being stalled. Since that time until now, life aspects have been limited to decrees issued by President Mahmoud Abbas.

All of this comes amidst a blockage of any political horizon, where the peace process, which the Palestinian leadership still bets on, is completely stagnant in the absence of any serious pathways for peace, while violations committed by the occupying authorities intensify. There are attempts by the occupying authorities to bypass the Oslo Accords after unilaterally freezing most of its articles related to Palestinian interests and imposing realities on the ground, coupled with trial balloons and unofficial communications with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, whether through Arab or European channels, all revolving around reforms in the structures of the Palestinian Authority, sharing tax revenues with Gaza, reaching the positioning of the authority under guardianship with Arab approval, as recent news has suggested, and other reports—possibly mere rumors or also trial balloons—about dividing the West Bank into three "emirates" in the south, center, and north, deepening the sense of hopelessness among the Palestinian citizen and potentially inflaming the conflict.

However, is all that has been narrated—and perhaps more that has yet to surface—the end of the road? Has the Palestinian situation become hostage to the status quo or its preservation, a predetermined fate? These questions resonate widely in the Palestinian community, contradicting the decision of the Palestinian leadership to hold elections for the Legislative Council and the National Council. How can one reconcile what is currently happening with what may occur - if it happens - in the near future? And could elections indeed serve as a lifeline for the crumbling Palestinian situation, in terms of rearranging the scattered papers, thus reorganizing the Palestinian house anew, restoring the usurped legitimacy, and paving the way to end the geographical division between the West Bank and Gaza Strip? And how will the legislative process be revived, being a Palestinian paper that is supposed to be purely national, in the face of a colonial settlement occupation that is making every effort to stifle the Palestinian spirit and dismantle the unity of the people?

There is no doubt that renewing Palestinian legitimacy is of utmost importance and an attempt—if intentions are sincere—to revive the spirit of Palestinian civic life in all its details, as this reflects the free will of the people and is necessary to be based on the principles of equality, transparency, fair competitiveness, and the independence of the overseeing bodies, and neutrality in managing the electoral process.

Thus, renewing legitimacy means preparing all segments of the people to engage in the struggle, paving the way for a bright future by improving life conditions that ensure human dignity, thereby enhancing public capacities in reconstruction after restoring the recognition of the people and their elements and role as they are the main actors in the liberation battle. The new Palestinian legitimacy will be responsible for enacting laws and setting programs that meet the various needs and aspirations of the people.

However, to ensure that the elections are truly national and a genuine democratic celebration that forms a civilizational model proving to all that the Palestinian people deserve freedom, justice, and a decent life, it must be preceded by a comprehensive national dialogue involving all factions and civil society representatives, leading to national consensus and a joint strategy to manage crises and face the existential challenges, with all participants committing to a code of honor to respect the results regardless of what they are.

Finally, to ensure the success of the elections, several conditions must be met, the most important of which are freedom of expression and organization and providing an environment that allows individuals and candidates to express their opinions freely, forming gatherings without fear of prosecution or intimidation and keeping free from government, official, and partisan interventions. Ensure transparent procedures for vote counting, documentation of results, and accurate public announcement before public opinion and observers, preventing the exploitation of public resources or government jobs for the benefit of specific candidates, providing equal and fair advertising space across various official and local media, allowing each list to express itself without slander or defamation against others, and presenting its program to the citizen in a way that ensures access to genuine information about the candidates, so that he can decide whom to elect through the ballot box, and ensuring no interference in the work of the observers in monitoring the electoral process at all stages whether they are local or international. Last but not least, ensuring a smooth and peaceful transfer of power after counting the results.