Palestinians will go to the polls on May 4th to elect the first unified government since Hamas forcibly seized the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian Authority in 2007. Confirmation of the date was made by PA head Mahmoud ‘Abbas during a visit to Austria. Hamas and Fatah agreed to reconciliation last May, but little progress has been made since that time to settle outstanding differences between the factions. Uniting Hamas-controlled Gaza with PA-controlled West Bank is a priority in the Palestinian quest for statehood. Plans for an interim government comprised of technocrats to govern until elections are held were set aside when ‘Abbas, representing Fatah; and Khalid Mashal, representing Fatah, agreed to maintain their respective governments pending the May vote. It remains unclear whether a unity government that includes Hamas, which is on the US State Department’s list of terrorist entities, will cause the US and other governments to suspend aid to the Palestinians.