While he appears to have received the support of the majority of an unelected group of Palestinians that are referred to as the leadership, it seems 86-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has unilaterally decided to postpone elections. Abbas said the night of April 29 that the vote was postponed because of Israel’s refusal to allow residents of East Jerusalem to participate, but most of those who were running for the May 22 legislative elections he had called for in a January set of presidential decrees want to have elections. 

While Abbas blamed Israel and the international community for the postponement, this decision will be a black mark on his legacy.

Abbas gave an emotional televised speech at the start of a closed meeting of the top Palestinian leadership explaining why he is adamant about not having elections if Jerusalemites are not allowed to participate. As a consolation to opponents, Abbas said he will establish a national unity government where all Palestinian factions are represented until the Jerusalem issue is resolved. “If the Israelis say yes, we will have the elections tomorrow,” Abbas said. Palestinian TV reported that a vast majority of the leaders voted in favor of postponing the elections. However, hard-line Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar called the national unity government idea a “naive" suggestion.

Hamas and heads of the leading lists were not officially invited. After the speech, demonstrations were held in support of Abbas' Jerusalem position while there were other protests opposed to that position, calling for the need for change through the ballot box.