Abbas postpones Palestinian elections, blaming Israel over East Jerusalem impasse

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has announced the postponement of planned parliamentary elections, saying Israel has failed to confirm it will allow voting in East Jerusalem.

The announcement ends weeks of mounting speculation that Abbas would nix the vote and looks certain to trigger a blame game involving the international community, as well as widespread frustration among Palestinians, who were set to vote in popular elections for the first time in fifteen years. Voting for the Palestinian Legislative Council was set to take place on May 22, with a vote for the Presidency scheduled for the end of July.