Making sense of Palestine’s local elections

Making sense of Palestine’s local elections

Palestinians in Gaza have voted in an election for the first time in 20 years, some for the first time in their lives.

Municipal elections took place last week across the West Bank but in only a single neighbourhood in the strip that had been less impacted by Israel’s two-year war.

The inclusion of Gaza has been described as a mostly symbolic gesture by the Palestinian Authority to demonstrate there is political unity between the two territories.

But the enclave remains in dire shape, with masses living in tents and amid rubble. Global attention has shifted to the Iran war, stalling reconstruction efforts promised under the terms of the ceasefire. In the West Bank, Israeli settlement expansions and land-grab policies are intensifying despite condemnations from the international community.

The question is, how effective are local polls in the middle of these crises and could they serve as a litmus test for potential legislative elections, which have not been held since 2006?

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher examines the political dynamics behind these elections and asks whether they could lead to any tangible change for the Palestinian people. She speaks to Abdaljawad Omar, writer and assistant professor at Birzeit University north of Ramallah, and Hamza Hendawi, The National’s correspondent in Cairo.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(505)

Why has the US-Iran agreement not been enough to end the war?

Why has the US-Iran agreement not been enough to end the war?

The interim agreement aimed at ending the war between the US and Iran has fallen apart barely three weeks after it was signed. Iran has resumed attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, cla...

17 Juli 18min

What’s at stake for foreign powers battling for influence in Syria?

What’s at stake for foreign powers battling for influence in Syria?

On the sidelines of an eventful Nato summit in Ankara, US President Donald Trump was sitting next to his Syrian counterpart Ahmad Al Shara when he announced his intention to lift Syria’s designation a...

10 Juli 19min

Why are ceasefires not ceasing the fire?

Why are ceasefires not ceasing the fire?

The Middle East has been grappling with one conflict after another, leading to countless rounds of negotiations to end fighting. But even when ceasefires are agreed to, the violence seems to continue,...

3 Juli 24min

What's driving Iraq’s anti-corruption crackdown?

What's driving Iraq’s anti-corruption crackdown?

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi has conducted a bold anti-corruption campaign since taking office in May. One of his first moves was to arrest the deputy oil minister for alleged embezzlement, and t...

26 Juni 18min

The wins and losses of the Iran war

The wins and losses of the Iran war

The US and Iran have signed their framework agreement to end the war. It comes after more than 100 days of fighting, economic and political warfare, and a death toll in the thousands. The two countrie...

19 Juni 21min

Are the US and Israel still fighting the same war?

Are the US and Israel still fighting the same war?

More than 100 days since the US and Israel launched co-ordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, the war that was supposed to eliminate its threat and reshape the region is at a crossroads. Iran's mil...

12 Juni 25min

The limits of soft power: America’s war and its World Cup

The limits of soft power: America’s war and its World Cup

When the US, Canada and Mexico were selected as joint hosts of the 2026 World Cup, they were supposed to be the “safe choice” for Fifa. Football’s global governing body had been criticised for previou...

5 Juni 23min

Replay: Who will fill the security vacuum in Gaza?

Replay: Who will fill the security vacuum in Gaza?

In its first report to the UN Security Council, the Board of Peace this month said Hamas’s refusal to disarm was the main obstacle to the reconstruction of Gaza. The board's leader, Nickolay Mladenov,...

29 Maj 21min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

svenska-fall
p3-krim
aftonbladet-krim
rss-krimstad
tv4-nyheterna-story
aftonbladet-daily
flashback-forever
rss-sanning-konsekvens
motiv
mannen-utan-spar
de-fyras-gang
rss-krimreportrarna
rss-vad-fan-hande
rss-frandfors-horna
spar
rss-flodet
politiken
rss-aftonbladet-krim
olyckan-inifran
krimmagasinet