Saeb Erakat, the chief negotiator for the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), tweeted on Sept. 17 that Israel’s elections focused on “strengthening apartheid.”
The full tweet read, “Israeli elections were about maintaining the status quo or strengthening apartheid. For peace to prevail, [the] next government has to realize that there will be no peace nor security without ending the occupation: Palestine next to Israel 1967 borders.”
Israeli elections were about maintaining the status quo or strengthening apartheid.For peace to prevail ,next government has to realise that there will be no peace nor security without ending the occupation :Palestine next to Israel 1967 borders.
— Dr. Saeb Erakat الدكتور صائب عريقات (@ErakatSaeb) September 18, 2019
International attorney Arsen Ostrovsky tweeted in response to Erakat, “Remind me again Saeb when was the last time your [Palestinian Authority] had elections? Also, how are those payments of yours to Palestinian murderers going?”
Remind me again Saeb when was the last time your PA had elections?
Also, how are those payments of yours to Palestinian murderers going?#IsraElex19v2
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) September 18, 2019
StandWithUs Executive Director Michael Dickson tweeted on Sept. 17, “If you think democracy is important, reflect on this: Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is serving his 14th year of a 4 year term, never giving his people the vote again since he won office. Israelis have held 6 elections in that time.”
If you think democracy is important, reflect on this: Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is serving his 14th year of a 4 year term, never giving his people the vote again since he won office.
Israelis have held 6 elections in that time. #IsraElex19v2 #israelelections2019 pic.twitter.com/T4B8x5zcI0
— Michael Dickson (@michaeldickson) September 17, 2019
Israel’s Joint List Arab party is projected to gain 12 seats in the Sept. 17 elections, which would make them the third largest party in the Knesset. Neither Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz have yet obtained the 61-seat majority needed to form a coalition.
Erakat has a history of defending the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) “pay-to-slay” policy of providing payments to terrorists who murder Israelis. In February, Erakat told official PA radio station Voice of Palestine, “Those carrying out normalization with Israel are sticking a knife in the back of the [Palestinian] people.”
