GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Civil engineer Ramadan Dabash, from the village of Sur Baher in the southern outskirts of East Jerusalem, is trying to form an Arab electoral bloc to compete against Jewish blocs in the upcoming Jerusalem municipal election in October. Dabash lectures on engineering at several Israeli universities and holds a leadership position in Sur Baher.

Dabash is encouraging Palestinian residents of Jerusalem to vote for his bloc despite formal and religious Palestinian calls to boycott the election. On July 30, the Supreme Fatwa Council in Palestine forbade Palestinians from participating, as it could be considered recognition of the legitimacy of Israel's occupation of the city.

An Arab municipal body called the Council of the Jerusalem Secretariat once ran East Jerusalem's affairs. But after Israel occupied the city in 1967, the Israelis dissolved the council and integrated East Jerusalem into the jurisdiction of the Israeli municipality to the west.

Since then, the great majority of Palestinian Jerusalemites have boycotted the elections, which are held every five years, though Israel has granted them the right to vote and stand for office. Over th years, some Palestinians have attempted to run but withdrew due to Palestinian public pressure. If Dabash doesn't withdraw from the contest, his will be the first Palestinian bloc to compete since 1967.