Arab Parties Unite Ahead of Israeli Elections, Boosting Arab Voter Turnout Prospects
The recent unification of the Arab parties Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad in Israel is expected to significantly increase voter turnout among the Arab community and potentially impact election results. Professor Osnat Akirav, president of the Israeli Political Science Association and senior faculty at the Western Galilee Academic College, explained that past unity among Arab parties led to more parliamentary seats, while fragmentation caused voter punishment and lower turnout. She emphasized that the Arab public prioritizes unity and civil rights over ideological disputes.
Akirav noted that since Israel's founding, Arab Knesset members have predominantly focused their parliamentary efforts on advancing Arab civil rights, although media attention often centers on their involvement in the Palestinian issue. She highlighted that even the most outspoken Arab MKs, Hanin Zoabi and Azmi Bishara, devoted only about 15% of their activity to the Palestinian cause. Regarding Mansour Abbas and his Ra'am party, Akirav described him as the first Arab leader to openly recognize Israel as the Jewish state and seek minority rights within a democratic framework, contrasting with other Arab parties that advocate for Israel as a state of all its citizens.
Ra'am's participation in the Bennett-Lapid government yielded tangible benefits for the Arab community, including legal electricity connections for 150,000 homes and a significant reduction in violence. However, a full merger of Ra'am with the Joint List is uncertain, as some Ra'am voters desire new leadership and greater female representation, expressing dissatisfaction with veteran politicians like Ahmad Tibi.
Akirav traced Arab voter turnout trends, noting a decline over the decades due to eroding trust, which was partially restored by the Joint List's formation. She identified two recent events likely to boost turnout: opposition to the judicial reform perceived as harming Arab civil rights, and the October 7 attacks, after which many Arab Israelis supported Israeli society and even enlisted in the IDF voluntarily. She predicts that if Arab parties urge voters to support them as the only option to protect their civil rights, turnout could reach 60-65%, potentially transforming Arab parties into key political players akin to ultra-Orthodox parties in the past.
