- Title: Palestinians voice little expectation after Israeli election too close to call
- Date: 17th September 2019
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN BOOKSHOP OWNER WISAM SHWEIKI, 38-YEAR-OLD, SAYING: "I think that the Israeli elections, or rather its results - whatever the result may be and whoever the winner may be - the end result is that they will steal the Palestinian rights. So we Palestinians do not see this as an important issue. But it will force more suffering and more sanctions on the Palestinians.†MAN WATCHING ELECTION POLLS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN BUSINESSMAN, MURAD AL-JABARI, SAYING: "I want to deliver one message, we don't care about them. They win or they lose, we will stay here, we will remain steadfast in this land." PEOPLE AT CAFE, SMOKING AND PLAYING CARDS, WHILE ISRAELI TV CHANNEL 12 NEWS SHOWING EXIT POLLS GAZA CITY, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 17, 2019) (REUTERS) PALESTINIANS AT MARKET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HAMAS SPOKESMAN IN GAZA, HAZEM QASSIM, SAYING: "It's clear that the Israeli public had the options to choose the radical party or the extremists. All these parties are against the rights of our Palestinian people, incite against Gaza, they threat to annex the West Bank, they refuse to give rights to our people. Whoever is leading the occupation entity, our people will continue to resist in order to establish our country with Jerusalem as its capital. They will resist against all the racial plans, special century deal. They will continue their resistance to end the sanctions on the Gaza strip." PEOPLE WALKING IN THE STREETS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MOHAMMED ATTWA, 18-YEAR-OLD, RESIDENT OF GAZA, SAYING: "Let Gantz win, what will he do to us? What can he do more than he did in the 2014 war? He destroyed the Gaza Strip, he demolished many houses, he killed many children, people and elders. He created more poverty than before. He made our life harder, like any other war they waged against us. If he wins or another party wins, everything will be the same, there won't be peace between us and them." PEOPLE IN STREET 41-YEAR-OLD SAAD EL-DIN ZIADA, A CIVIL EMPLOYEE, WHOSE FAMILY FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST FORMER ISRAELI ARMY CHIEF BENNY GANTZ FOR WAR CRIMES IN THE HAGUE, WATCHING TV ZAIDA HOLDING TV REMOTE CONTROL (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) 41-YEAR-OLD SAAD EL-DIN ZIADA, A CIVIL EMPLOYEE, WHOSE FAMILY FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST FORMER ISRAELI ARMY CHIEF BENNY GANTZ FOR WAR CRIMES IN THE HAGUE, SAYING: "Perhaps it's the first time for me that I curiously follow the Israeli election. Though it doesn't really matter whether the left or the right or anyone else comes to power, this time it is distinctly special because if Gantz wins and he is able to form a government and he becomes a prime minister, then he will have immunity and we can't pursue him legally for the crime that he committed against our family in the 2014 war." ZIADA WATCHING TV VARIOUS OF CARS IN THE STREETS OF GAZA
- Embargoed: 1st October 2019 22:47
- Keywords: Israeli elections exit polls Netanyahu Palestinians Gaza Hamas Palestinian Authority
- Location: HEBRON, JERICHO, WEST BANK/GAZA CITY, GAZA
- City: HEBRON, JERICHO, WEST BANK/GAZA CITY, GAZA
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA003AX1PUMF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza voiced mixed feelings on Tuesday (September 17) as exit polls following Israeli election showed the race too close to call and Israel's longest-serving leader weakened.
Saeb Erekat, Chief Palestinian negotiator and a close aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, voiced hopes that a new Israeli government will pursue peace with the Palestinians.
Sitting in a small cafe in the West Bank city of Hebron, young men said that they're not expecting much of any Israeli government, regardless of the man heading it.
But for 41-year-old Saad El-Din Ziada from Gaza, who lost 6 of his family members in the 2014 Gaza War and whose family filed a lawsuit against ex-general Benny Gantz for war crimes, a Gantz win in the election may mean an end to his legal struggle.
Surveys by Israeli TV stations gave Netanyahu's right-wing Likud 31 to 33 of parliament's 120 seats, versus 32 to 34 for centrist Blue and White led by former General Benny Gantz.
Neither had enough support, at first glance, for a governing coalition of 61 legislators, and Netanyahu's ally-turned-rival, former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, emerged as a likely kingmaker as head of the far-right Yisrael Beitenu party.
(Production: Saed Hawari/Yusri AlJamal/Abed Shanna/Fadi Shanna/Nehad Khalil/Arafat Barbakh/Roleen Tafakji/Rahaf Ruby) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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