Israel’s Arab politicians emerge with new political heft

The right to speak directly after the prime minister? Meetings with all visiting heads of state? Monthly briefings from the Mossad?

For the first time, the perks of being the opposition leader in the Israeli parliament could go to an Arab lawmaker.

That tantalizing prospect stems from an upsurge in voter turnout among the country’s Arab population in this week’s election, which has translated into increased political heft. At least 60 percent of the Arab electorate cast ballots this time, up from a record low of 49% just five months ago.

That has won the Joint List, an alliance of predominantly Arab parties, a projected 12 or 13 seats in the 120-seat Parliament as the final votes were being tallied on Wednesday. And the murky outcome for the main Jewish parties, locked in a tie, could allow the Joint List to play a rare and critical role.

It could support a centrist government from the outside, under certain conditions. Arab parties last provided that kind of safety net to the government established by Yitzhak Rabin in 1992.

Alternatively, if the two largest parties — Benny Gantz’s centrist Blue and White and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conservative Likud — end up in a unity government, the Joint List’s Ayman Odeh, heading the third-largest party, would be positioned to become opposition leader.

“That would be a very unique position to be in,” said Mohammad Darawshe, of the Center for Equality and Shared Society at Givat Haviva, “and one of historic value.”

After decades of political marginalization, Arab citizens, who make up a fifth of Israel’s population, are seeking fuller integration. “The mood is for engaging, not boycotting,” Darawshe said.

Analysts attributed the strong turnout to two main factors: the reunification of the Joint List after its three parties had split up for the last election amid disagreements, and a counterpunch to years of efforts by Netanyahu to rally his own right-wing base by demonizing the Arab politicians and intimidating their electorate. That strategy backfired this time.

“There’s no doubt that the one who helped us get out the vote was Netanyahu,” said Mazen Ghnaim, a former mayor of Sakhnin, an Arab town in northern Israel. “First he called us a demographic threat, then it was the cameras,” he said, alluding to Netanyahu’s recent allegations of election fraud in Arab districts.

“Each time it was something else,” Ghnaim said, “so we decided to try to replace the Netanyahu government.”

Netanyahu continued his campaign to delegitimize Arab voters even after the election, telling his Likud faction on Wednesday, “There are only two possibilities: a government headed by me or a dangerous government that relies on the Arab parties.”

It is not yet clear who will end up as the next prime minister. But Gantz has already reached out to Odeh in a postelection phone call, giving him a new aura of political respectability. The pair agreed to meet for talks.

Before the election, Odeh had even raised the possibility of joining a centre-left, Blue and White-led coalition, something an Arab party in Israel has never done.

But Blue and White leaders quickly shot down that idea, and other members of the Joint List said Odeh was speaking for himself, making it clear that they would not sit in a government led by Gantz, a former military chief, and share responsibility for Israel’s military actions and occupation of the West Bank.

The Joint List also won 13 seats the first time it ran as an alliance, in 2015. But this time is different, according to Aida Touma-Sliman, a prominent member of the alliance, because of the country’s political deadlock.

“Netanyahu is weaker today,” Touma-Sliman said. “He and the others understand that we have power and are able to practice it.”

At the same time, the List’s leaders have made it clear to Gantz that they are “not in his pocket” and will offer their support only if a list of demands is met. Priorities include a program to deal with violence and illegal weapons in Arab towns, land allocations and the resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

More than 90% of those Arab citizens who voted cast their ballots for the Joint List, expressing confidence in their own leadership, even as they remained sceptical about the potential for impact.

“I hope that they’ll be able to influence,” said Hisham Abu Jabal, 50, a restaurant worker in Jaffa who comes from the Arab village of Turan in northern Israel. “It’s not going to be easy.”

“I have a little more hope this time,” he said. “Not too much. But a little.”

Khaled Abu Tawil, 46, a musician from Jaffa, was one of the few Arab voters who cast a ballot for Blue and White this time, saying it was a vote against Netanyahu.

He added, “Even if the Arab lawmakers win 100 seats, it won’t help us.”

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