The future of the Palestinian vote in Israel
The backlash against the high Palestinian turnout reveals much about the state of Israeli democracy and its future.
In the October 27 Israeli elections, 38 parties ran for office. Of these, only two supported peace, equality and an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories. Both were “Arab parties” – made up of Palestinian citizens of Israel.
These two parties earned a historic result, securing 19 seats in the Knesset, after some 80 percent of Palestinian citizens cast a vote.
This unprecedented turnout contributed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to secure a majority. His bloc won 53 seats, while the Jewish-led opposition won 48.
The electoral process itself reflected this climate. Israel’s Central Elections Committee voted to disqualify both Palestinian electoral lists, along with lawmaker Ofer Cassif and Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh. The Supreme Court eventually reversed the bans on the lists.