RAMALLAH, Jan. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that the upcoming legislative elections due on Jan. 25 may be delayed if Israel bans Jerusalem Arabs from voting, reported the Qatar-based al-Jazeera television.

   "We all agree that Jerusalem should be included in the elections" and "if it is not included, all the factions agree there should be no elections," Abbas was quoted by the satellite channel as saying in Doha, where he is on a visit.

   Meanwhile, Abbas urged Palestinian militant groups not to abandon the truce with Israel, which they agreed to last January, saying "I appeal to all Palestinian factions to continue to respect (the truce) while we are organizing elections."

   "Everyone must show restraint and not give Israel a pretext" to continue its policies in the Palestinian territories, he stressed.

   Israel captured and then annexed East Jerusalem after the 1967 war, while the international community still regards the area housing some 200,000 Palestinians as occupied territory.

   In the past, the Palestinians there voted in a virtual absentee ballot system, because Israel says interim peace accords ban such political activity in Jerusalem.

   But this time Israel opposes allowing voting in Jerusalem mainly because of the participation of the radical Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the general election for the first time.

   Observers said talk of the election delay also come when the ruling Fatah party led by Abbas has been weakened by infighting and the growing chaos in Gaza, where gunmen have been kidnapping foreigners or taking over government buildings on a daily basis.

   The violence has threatened to weaken Fatah and benefit Hamas, which is running on a campaign pledging clean government and law and order, said media reports. Enditem