JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says the main factions have agreed to delay the first elections planned in 15 years, citing a dispute with Israel over voting in east Jerusalem. The decision adopted early Friday likely spares Abbas’ fractured Fatah party from suffering another embarrassing defeat to the Islamic militant group Hamas. It will also be quietly welcomed by Israel and Western countries, which view Hamas as a terrorist group and are concerned about its growing strength. But it leaves a political leadership in place that has failed to advance Palestinian hopes for statehood and is seen as increasingly corrupt and authoritarian.
