In 2018, Abu Sarah started a campaign to be the first Palestinian since 1944 to become elected mayor of Jerusalem.[11] At first he planned to run together with his political adviser Gershon Baskin on a joint Israeli-Palestinian list, but this later changed to an all-Palestinian list called Al-Quds Lana (Jerusalem is Ours).[12] The party did not hold large political rallies or public town halls due to fear of harassment from hardline community opponents, so instead they met with local committees, teacher's groups, students, and communities in closed door meetings.[3] While some Palestinians gave their support, others called him a traitor, with some pelting Abu Sarah with eggs at a speech he gave outside Jerusalem city hall. The Palestine Liberation Organization has historically discouraged Palestinians from participating in Israeli elections because they claim it legitimises the occupation.[10] The Palestinian Authority had already appointed its own governor of Jerusalem, Adnan Gaith, who said "We tell Aziz Abu Sarah, if you want to become the mayor of Jerusalem, you should wait until Jerusalem becomes the capital of the Palestinian State.[5]