Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and rival Fatah dissidents have united in an unprecedented coalition for the first Palestinian elections since 2006. But Israeli repression and foreign pressure raise doubts about whether free politics is possible under occupation.

As Fatah holds its Eighth Congress, insiders tell Mondoweiss that the dominant movement in Palestinian politics for over 50 years is in disarray. With Palestinians under threat on multiple fronts, the meeting may be the last chance to fix the crisis.

Mouin Rabbani interviews Wafa Abdel-Rahman on the upcoming Palestinians elections, which she argues “reveals Fatah’s internal divisions in all their glory.”