Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ ruling Fatah party has included convicted terrorists as well as the relatives of terrorists in senior positions on its list for May’s parliamentary elections, Israel’s Kan public broadcaster reported Thursday.
Number two on Abbas’ party list is the widow of the terrorist responsible for the vicious 2001 attack on a 10-month-old Israeli baby, Shalhevet Pass, during the second intifada.
The tenth spot is a former security prisoner from Jenin who was incarcerated over the murder of an Israeli civilian, Moti Biton, in the 1990s. The prisoner was released as part of a gesture of goodwill to Abbas in 2013.
A second security prisoner who was later released in another deal secured fifteenth place on the list. The man, from the West Bank city of Hebron, received a life sentence for his involving in terror attacks during the second intifada.
Abbas rival and infamous Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti has also drawn up his own list of candidates in the upcoming election to challenge the PA president. Barghouti himself is serving a life sentence for multiple acts of terrorism.
His list likewise includes terrorists, including former prisoner Fakhari Barghouti, who was served a life sentence for murdering an Israeli bus driver Mordechai Yekuel in the late 1970s. He was later released as part of the 2011 deal to released captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Kan also reported Abbas has so far refused to accept a telephone call from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, with Abbas reportedly insisting that President Joe Biden personally call instead.
The Palestinian legislative elections are scheduled for May 22, while presidential elections are set for July 31.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.