West Bank scepticism as Palestinians doubt local elections will change much | Israel-Palestine conflict News
Ramallah, West Bank — Hani Odeh, the mayor of Qusra, a Palestinian town southeast of Nablus, is stepping down after facing significant challenges during his four-and-a-half-year tenure. The small town, home to approximately 6,000 residents, is situated amidst illegal Israeli settlements and has experienced ongoing settler violence, leading to the deaths of two locals last month.
Residents have struggled to access their agricultural lands as ongoing damages to water infrastructure persist. As municipal elections approach this Saturday, Odeh has opted not to seek reelection. “The resources are limited, and the demands are many,” he said, expressing fatigue with the situation. “I’m exhausted. I just want to rest.”
The Palestinian Authority (PA) recently announced municipal elections for April 25, marking the first such vote in nearly five years. No national elections have been held since 2006, allowing the Fatah-led PA to remain in power despite the expiration of its initial mandate over 17 years ago. Odeh, who believes the elections will not alter the status quo, pointed out the Israeli military’s closure of the gate to Qusra for the past two years.
The PA’s civil servants in Qusra presently earn a mere 2,000 shekels ($670), far below their due salaries, as Israel continues to withhold tax revenues designated for Palestinians.
According to the Palestine Elections Commission, more than 5,100 candidates are vying for positions across 90 municipal councils and 93 village councils during the upcoming elections, with nearly a third of the electorate aged between 18 and 30.
In the lead-up to the elections in Ramallah, campaign posters were noticeably absent. Ramallah and Nablus are not holding contested elections; instead, they will fill council positions through a method called acclamation, wherein a single list of candidates is selected without a formal vote. This approach, traditionally used in smaller villages, is now being employed in larger cities where challengers to the Fatah party are discouraged.
“There is definitely a sense of futility in certain places,” remarked Zayne Abudaka, cofounder of the Institute for Social and Economic Progress (ISEP), which gauges Palestinian public sentiment. Many, such as Fatima*, an education center director in El-Bireh, have not participated in elections for over 20 years, expressing skepticism about any substantial changes from new leadership.
While some residents, like 20-year-old Iyad Hani, are eager to vote for the first time, citing hopes for improvements in local infrastructure, others remain doubtful about the elections’ effectiveness. Amani, a receptionist working in Ramallah, articulated a common sentiment of disillusionment, stating, “I just hope that something genuinely new and positive comes out of this.”
This discontent extends to the PA itself, as residents express distrust. “People have lost faith in the parties, lost faith in the Authority, lost faith in the whole world,” Odeh noted, predicting low voter turnout on election day.
Recent amendments to voter eligibility may further exacerbate perceptions of these elections, requiring candidates to pledge allegiance to agreements made by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). This has led to concerns regarding the motivations behind the elections, as many voters seek local service improvements without the burden of external political agreements.
Despite widespread criticisms of the PA, polling suggests a longing for democratic processes among Palestinians, albeit within a framework that demonstrates the impact of individual votes. Obada Shtaya, a researcher, emphasized the need for credible political structures to encourage civic engagement, arguing that sporadic elections fail to foster meaningful change.
As he prepares to step down, Odeh aims to open a toy shop and establish a new home, reflecting on the desire for a respite from the challenges faced by his community. “Let people breathe,” he said. “We’re here. We’re not going anywhere.”
