Hamad bin Jassim calls for inclusive Palestinian elections to represent the people

Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, former Prime Minister of Qatar, has called on Palestinians to agree on holding comprehensive elections that include all factions and communities from Gaza, the West Bank and the diaspora.

On his X account he wrote: “Whoever looks carefully and deeply at the current situation of the Palestinian cause will certainly conclude that the time has come for Palestinians to agree on holding elections in which all their political, social and factional groups participate — whether in Gaza, the West Bank or the diaspora — to hold inclusive elections and achieve national reconciliation.”

He added: “It is important that the Palestinian Authority support these elections to give the opportunity to choose a Palestinian president capable of shouldering the responsibilities in the coming phase, and to elect new people who help him, represent the people fairly and effectively.” He emphasised that the aim of the elections is to create “a unified government able to deal efficiently with very big changes.”

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He praised the past performance of Palestinian officials, saying: “In previous years the Palestinian officials in the Authority did what they could, and it is on their record that they did not sign any document that strips them of their legitimate right — a right recognised by international institutions, led by the UN Security Council — to establish their independent state with Jerusalem East as its capital, within the borders of 4 June 1967.”

However, he urged that “our ambitions remain within the bounds of reality, so that the current deadlock does not continue, because the coming stage for the Palestinians will be delicate and existential.”

Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim ended by issuing a strong call to the Arab League: “It is also important that the Arab League takes an effective role in this context. Even though we have never heard from the League any practical and effective voice or stance in the past on any Arab cause, we hope that this time it will take a stance worthy of credit. I wish it would.”

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