Full Breakdown
Israel’s Election Day vs. Palestinian Authority’s Election Void
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Background & Context
Israel conducted its first national election since the Oct. 7 2023 conflict, recording a 74.3 % turnout—5,449,277 voters—by 8 p.m., according to the Central Elections Committee. Prior elections saw a 66.4 % turnout. In contrast, the Palestinian Authority has not held an election for 21 years; Mahmoud Abbas was elected in 2005. On Oct. 10, Abbas issued a decree postponing elections that had been slated for late November.
02
Official Statements & Responses
Israeli officials emphasized the election’s legitimacy; Mark Goldfeder, CEO and director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, described the vote as a “free and fair election.” Rabbi Steven Burg, CEO of Aish, contrasted Israel’s democratic process with what he termed a “dictatorship” in the Palestinian Authority, citing the absence of elections and an environment he said allows terrorism to thrive.
03
Criticism & Opposition
Mort Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, argued that the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to hold elections and alleged payments to families of attackers demonstrate a “subhuman, corrupt, terrorist dictatorship” that conflicts with American and Western values. Klein further asserted that the conflict is fundamentally a religious war, not a dispute over land or statehood, and that Palestinian leadership has repeatedly rejected state offers.
04
Verbatim Quotes
- “The contrast couldn’t be more striking,” — Rabbi Steven Burg, CEO of Aish
- “It’s nothing short of a place where terrorists thrive.” — Rabbi Steven Burg, CEO of Aish
- “Abbas certainly hasn’t been a partner, and he’s been someone that’s denied the Holocaust and has turned a blind eye to terror and pay-for-slay,” — Rabbi Steven Burg, CEO of Aish
- “Israel is a thriving democracy, and the Palestinian Authority is just another dictatorship in the Middle East.” — Mort Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America
- “Israel held a free and fair election today,” — Mark Goldfeder, CEO and director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center