Istanbul – FiMED

The Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad is preparing to hold an emergency meeting of its general secretariat in Istanbul on Friday and Saturday, 25 and 26 September, to discuss developments in the Palestinian cause, foremost among them the Palestinian National Council elections and mechanisms for representing Palestinians abroad, as well as developments in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem.

The conference's acting secretary-general, Hisham Abu Mahfouz, said the meeting comes amid what he described as an escalating dispute over the mechanisms for forming the National Council and representing Palestinians abroad, as well as developments on the ground in the West Bank and at Al-Aqsa Mosque and the continuing war in the Gaza Strip.

Rejecting appointment, demanding elections

Abu Mahfouz explained that the meeting will discuss the conference's position rejecting the appointment of representatives of Palestinians abroad to the National Council, stressing, according to his statements, that the conference demands free and fair elections allowing Palestinians to choose their representatives directly.

He added that the conference also rejects what it considers political preconditions on candidacy and participation, and believes that Palestinians abroad are part of the Palestinian political process and that their representation should not be subject to mechanisms that do not allow them to choose their representatives.

At a press conference held in Istanbul in early September, the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad announced its rejection of the presidential decree on appointing National Council members, calling for the council to be rebuilt on the basis of election and representation of all Palestinians. Participants at the time also rejected the "electoral colleges" mechanism as a substitute for direct voting.

A wider dispute over representing Palestinians abroad

The meeting comes amid a growing Palestinian debate over the mechanisms for reconstituting the National Council and renewing the institutions of the Palestine Liberation Organization, particularly the representation of Palestinians living outside the Palestinian territories.

The Popular Conference, along with other Palestinian institutions and bodies, had called for free and inclusive elections to choose National Council members, rejecting the principle of appointment, quota-sharing and political preconditions, according to its statement issued in Istanbul on 4 September.

Meanwhile, the question of representing Palestinians abroad remains part of wider arrangements concerning the reconstitution of Palestinian institutions and the mechanisms for selecting National Council members, amid differing positions on direct elections, electoral colleges and appointment.

Gaza, West Bank and Jerusalem files

According to the conference, the meeting will not be limited to the elections file, as the general secretariat will also discuss the latest developments in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem, including settlement expansion, Israeli military operations and developments concerning Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The meeting is expected to produce positions or recommendations on the National Council elections, the mechanisms for representing Palestinians abroad, and the steps the conference considers necessary in the coming stage.

The Palestinian National Council is one of the main bodies of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and for years there have been discussions about reconstituting it and broadening its base of representation to include Palestinians at home and in the diaspora.

On 4 September 2026, the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad held a press conference in Istanbul under the slogan "We reject appointments.. No to exclusion", with the participation of Palestinian institutions abroad, and participants announced their demand for free and fair elections to choose the representatives of the Palestinian people.