In one of the most viscerally contested electorates in the world, one man’s attempt to create history by standing for the position of mayor has ended under legal and personal threats.
The election is for the mayor of Jerusalem and the candidate is a Palestinian. Aziz Abu Sarah sued the State of Israel, alleging it was undemocratic to deny East Jerusalem’s Palestinian residents the chance to run for the city’s highest office.
Israeli forces seized the eastern half of Jerusalem in 1967 and most of the Arab residents are classified as “residents” of Israel instead of citizens, and one of several rights they lack is the right to stand for election as mayor.
Listen to the full broadcast (4min 13sec) by Eric Tlozek on PM at ABC Radio.