Palestinians Hope Israeli Elections Will Improve Living Conditions

Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem, and within Israel are closely monitoring the results of the Israeli elections, with a shift in focus from political discourse to daily economic concerns. Professor Ayman Yousef, a political science professor, noted that the Palestinian public is now questioning whether a new Israeli leadership, such as Gadi Eisenkot, could alleviate the impact of military checkpoints, settlements, and settler actions, facilitate movement by opening "yellow gates," and release withheld Palestinian Authority funds needed for salaries. While acknowledging the need for a broader political context for genuine improvement, some Palestinians express despair, believing all Israeli parties are alike and will not bring radical change.

The Palestinian Authority and political elite desire the removal of Benjamin Netanyahu's government, particularly figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. They see potential in leaders like Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Golan, supported by Arab parties, to foster a field and economic environment that supports livelihoods. They also hope for a renewed political horizon with international (US and European) backing for phased negotiations and to counter Israeli government efforts to weaken or dismantle the PA.

The economic impact on Palestinians has been severe, with 150,000 to 200,000 workers barred from entering Israel for work, and many traders having their licenses revoked, negatively affecting their livelihoods due to decisions by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Both the Palestinian public and leadership share a common desire for the current Israeli ruling coalition to depart, aiming to bolster Palestinian resilience economically and socially and find new mechanisms to ease the current crisis, even without immediate significant political gains.