U.S., Egyptian and European Union officials have in recent weeks reportedly been trying to convince Palestinian officials that it is in their interest to postpone such a unilateral declaration until after the Israeli elections.

A final decision on the declaration is believed by Palestinian analysts to lie in the hands of Ahmed Qurei, the Palestinian Legislative Council speaker, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive secretary-general, and of course, Yasser Arafat, Palestinian Authority chairman.