Palestinian Authority Fears Israeli Election Outcome, Predicts West Bank Turmoil

Dr. Michael Milstein, a retired Colonel and former head of the Palestinian desk at IDF Intelligence, warned of significant upheaval in the West Bank during the upcoming Israeli election period. Speaking on Radio 103fm on Sunday, Milstein noted a high level of Arab world interest in Israel's elections, expressing concern over the normalization of the idea of transfer and predicting "significant tremors" in the West Bank within the 50 days leading up to the vote.

This comes amid reports that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is deeply worried about a victory for the Israeli right-wing bloc. According to Channel 12 journalist Muhammad Magadla, the PA has faced economic difficulties and rising village violence since the formation of the Netanyahu government, which includes Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. The PA has reportedly pressured Arab party leaders to unite, with PA President Mahmoud Abbas and other senior officials in Ramallah allegedly engaging in significant discussions with leaders of Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad to re-establish the Joint List.

The message conveyed to these parties, according to Magadla's report, was to overcome internal disputes and unite with the explicit goal of "bringing down Netanyahu." The PA did not deny reports of these meetings with Abbas when approached by the news outlet, indicating the unusual nature of these interventions.