Together we stand, divided we fall: the Arab minority in Israel’s general elections, 2019-20

ABSTRACT

This article seeks to analyse the political behaviour of the Arab sector in Israel in the three rounds of general elections held between April 2019 to March 2020. In the first round (April 9), despite high expectations within the Arab sector of seeing a joint Arab list competing in the elections for the 21^st Knesset, the joint list was dismantled. Arab voters expressed their disappointment and stayed away from the ballot box. The political result was a decline from 13 to 10 parliamentary seats. In the second round (September 17) the joint list was reunited and won 13 seats again. In the third round (March 2020) it won 15 seats after competing yet again as a joint party. These experiences show that boycotting the elections harms the Arab minority while combining all political parties brings greater political influence.

KEYWORDS:

• Israel
• Israeli Arabs
• Knesset
• elections
• joint Arab party

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. At the final date for the submission of lists seeking to run in the elections, six Arab lists submitted candidacies. Two of them announced their withdrawal before elections day. For more see: https://www.bokra.net/Article-1406267.

2. Radai, “Meteor trail: The rise and fall of the joint list of Arab parties in Israel,” in: https://votes21.bechirot.gov.il/.

3. Hitman, “The Joint Arab List for the Knesset: United, Shared or Split?” 148-49.‏

4. Election season: A new Arab party to compete for seats in the Knesset in: https://www.arab48.com November 18, 2018.

5. Sha’alan: “MK Tibi quits the joint list,” https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5442645,00.html January 8, 2019.

6. Ibid.

7. Awad, “2019 elections and the misery of Arab’s parties,” in https://www.panet.co.il/article/2501008, February 25, 2019.

8. Rapoport, “The joint list is a historic missed opportunity,” Siha Mekomit, https://mekomit.co.il/, February 28, 2019.

9. Dalasha, “Tibi’s list; what’s new,” https://www.arab48.com January 13, 2019.

10. Bulus, “The joint list- the end of an adventure,” http://www.taybee.net/2019/02/, February 16, 2019.

11. “StatNet Institute poll: 52% believe that Tibi and Odeh are responsible for dismantling the joint list,” http://panet.co.il/article/2515882, March 13, 2019.

12. “The Election Commission decides to close the pages incited against Tibi and let Facebook 3 days to reveal the identity of its managers,” https://www.alarab.com/Article/894731 March 28, 2019.

13. Abu Ata’a, “Citizens reject the intervention of President Abbas, the return of the joint and others support, and calls for a boycott of the elections,” http://panet.co.il/article/2496788, February 20, 2019.

14. Hitman, “The joint list,” 154.

15. Rapoport, “The joint list is a historic missed opportunity.”

16. Khoury, “Internal poll by Hadash-Ta’al: Half of the Arab public does not intend to vote in the elections,” https://www.haaretz.co.il/news/elections/.premium-1.7065205, March 29, 2019.

17. https://www.hamal.co.il/post/-LbqmWt7CtygrxmH9Bxy, April 7, 2019.

18. “A week before the elections: almost half of the Arab population will not go to the polling stations,” https://www.alarab.com/Article/895792 April 5, 2019.

19. “Arab parties in Israel fail to form a joint list to run in the legislative elections,” France News Press i https://www.france24.com/ar/20190222 February 22, 2019.

20. Ashtiwi, “Abbas: Tibi dismantled the joint list and the Communist Party was to show responsibility and not to make an alliance with him,” https://www.alarab.com/Article/897553, April 19, 2019.

21. Ashtiwi, “Matans Shehadeh: The resulting disintegration of the joint is the Tibi and our coalition with the front will be in accordance,” https://www.alarab.com/Article/888133, February 8, 2019.

22. “Shahin: Abbas poisoned the atmosphere and bears the responsibility of decoupling the joint and the Islamic agreement with the assembly recognising their weakness,” https://www.alarab.com/Article/888777 February 12, 2019; and Nasr, “Tibi: who rejected our demands and gave us the crumbs as if he were distributing seats responsible for the joint deconstruction,” https://www.alarab.com/Article/888318, February 9, 2019.

23. Tabkof, “The Arabs no longer flock in droves to the ballot box: what made the Arabs give up their right to influence,” https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1001281080, April 6, 2019.

24. Ibid.

25. Sawaed, “Politician in Shaghour regional council: The speech of Gantz right-wing, which is not the best alternative for Netanyahu,” http://panet.co.il/article/2477259 February 1, 2019.

26. Al-Ubra, “Citizens of the Negev: ‘The Arab street is waiting for the fall of Netanyahu,” in: http://panet.co.il/article/2504500 March 1, 2019.

27. Sawaed, ‘The decision to indict Netanyahu will not affect right-wing voters,’ in: http://panet.co.il/article/2504479, March 1, 2019; Ibrahim abu Ata’a, “Citizens of ‘Arara and Kafr Qara’: ‘Netanyahu’s trial will trample on the right and weaken him,” http://panet.co.il/article/2504486, March 1, 2019.

28. Abu Ata’a, “Citizens of Umm al-Fahm and ‘Ara: ‘The decision to delete Balad is racist’,” http://panet.co.il/article/2509966, March 7, 2019; and Riham Yusuf Athamle, “Netanyahu’s storm: how politicians evaluate the upcoming elections?” in: https://www.bokra.net/Article-1406810, March 2, 2019.

29. https://votes21.bechirot.gov.il/.

30. “Voters in Nazareth: They do not like division, fragmentation and boycotting the position,”in https://www.alarab.com/Article/891718, March 8, 2019.

31. “Mantes Shehadeh: Our absence in the Knesset means an absence of 13 Arab national members,” https://www.alarab.com/Article/895576, April 4, 2019.

32. https://votes21.bechirot.gov.il/.

33. Khalila, “The Arab MKs – now we demand accountability,” https://mekomit.co.il/author/samah/, April 13, 2019.

34. “Analysis: Results of the Knesset elections in Palestinian society,”Mada al-Carmel.

35. www.panet.co.il/article/2649810 July 27, 2019.

36. Lukash and Cohen, “Ahmad Tibi: Netanyahu works for ethnic cleansing within the Knesset,” https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5572905,00.html, August 21, 2019.

37. Touma Suliman, https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2779032948792545&id=975710572458134, August 21, 2019.

38. Barnea, “Ayman Odeh surprisingly: willing to join left-centre coalition,” https://ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5573430,00.html, August 22, 2019.

39. “Chamber of Commerce supports election participation,” https://www.bokra.net/Article-1419764, September 13, 2019.

40. Yasser Ukbi, “The goal of the joint list is 65% of voting within Arab sector,” Ma’ariv, September 16, 2019.

41. https://votes22.bechirot.gov.il/cityresults?cityID=970.

42. Goichman, Netanyahu’s chatbot: the Arabs want to destroy Israel, https://www.themarker.com/technation/1.7831338, September 11, 2019.

43. Rozgon, “The joint list thank Netanyahu,” in https://www.zman.co.il/40556/, September 18, 2019.

44. Cohen, “Heads of Arab authorities in the Triangle: no one can force us to leave the state,” https://www.maariv.co.il/news/politics/Article-744244, January 30, 2020.

45. Rubinstein and Sha’alan, “The incitement makes us stronger,” https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5688308,00.html, March 4, 2020.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gadi Hitman

Gadi Hitman is a Lecturer in Middle East Studies at Ariel University, Israel.