Two days ahead of Israel’s parliamentary elections, Palestinian public opinion is consumed with what it regards as an inevitable sharp right turn in Israeli politics come January 22.

Nabil Shaath, a Fatah official and former member of the Palestinian negotiation team, asserted Saturday that a right-wing government will emerge from the Israeli elections. In an interview with the Italian news agency Saturday, Shaath called on the Unites States and the European Union to increase pressure on Israel to freeze settlement building and resume negotiations leading to a Palestinian state within six months, or face international sanctions. The Palestinian Authority has said it would not return to the negotiating table without an Israeli settlement construction freeze.