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Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh has sharply criticized Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar over comments on the postponement of Palestinian general elections, saying the delay was caused by Israeli actions. Writing on the social media platform X, Sheikh accused Saar of showing concern for Palestinian democracy while being responsible for violence against Palestinians, likening the stance to a fox preaching. Those who kill our people daily now address us in the language of a preacher, he said.

Saar had used the same platform to accuse President Mahmoud Abbas of corruption and of misleading the international community, calling claims that Israel obstructed the vote "a ridiculous lie" invented to evade accountability. President Abbas issued a decree on Wednesday setting simultaneous presidential and general elections for September 11, 2027, replacing a date previously set for November 2026. An earlier decree had scheduled general elections for November 28 in East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

The Election Commission began accepting candidate lists on September 26 and approved eight lists in the first four days. Sheikh said in August that if voting was blocked anywhere, a fallback plan would recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole legitimate representative and form the National Council by consensus. Some 2.97 million Palestinians are eligible to vote. The last general elections were held in 2006.

Key Takeaways

• Hussein al-Sheikh said the election delay resulted from Israeli crimes and practices, rejecting Saar's criticism.
• Abbas set simultaneous presidential and general elections for September 11, 2027, after earlier postponements.
• Saar accused Abbas of corruption; Abbas claims Israel obstructed the vote, which Saar called a fabricated lie.