'Nobody is taking us seriously': Arab Israelis weigh their vote

For Jaber Hijazi, an Arab Israeli from the northern city of Tamra, who lost his brother five years ago during an exchange of fire between police and armed suspects, the upcoming elections offer little hope. He has low expectations that the next government will meaningfully address the violence and crime affecting Arab communities in Israel.“We are living in a state of war and killings here on the streets,” Hijazi said. “I don't see anyone taking real actions to solve the crisis of violence in our towns and villages.“If the current government is replaced by another, will that mean the crime problem will be solved? No matter who becomes prime minister, I don't see anyone willing to put it at the top of his agenda,” Hijazi, a social activist, told The Jerusalem Report.His brother, Ahmed, was a 22-year-old nursing student who was caught by a stray bullet. His friend was injured in the incident.Hijazi said he and many others in his community have little confidence that the next government will address their concerns, pointing to the reluctance among Jewish parties to form political alliances with Arab representatives in the Knesset.In his view, Israeli politics has shifted in recent years, leaving Arab citizens increasingly pessimistic about the prospect of political change.“There is hardly any left-wing in Israel anymore,” he said. “The Left and Center have shifted to the Right.” The political Right has grown stronger, with far-right elements becoming more prominent, he argued, saying that he sees little indication that a future government would prioritize the challenges facing Arab society.“Israel is Netanyahu,” he continued. “Even if [Yashar head Gabi] Eisenkot were to take power, would anything really change? Would people be able to walk in the streets safely, without fearing that they, or members of their families, could get killed by criminal gangs?“Nobody is taking us seriously,” Hijazi said, adding that he was skeptical that “Jewish voters would ever choose a government that is not right wing.”Deepening distrustMembers of the Arab community also point to organized crime, housing shortages, inadequate public services, and other daily challenges. Some say these problems have been compounded by strained relations between Arab and Jewish citizens, and a growing sense of distrust toward state institutions.They say those tensions intensified during and after Operation Guardian of the Walls in 2021 and again following October 7, 2023.Asad Ghanem, an Arab-Israeli political commentator and professor of political science at the University of Haifa, said that Arab voters are now facing two choices: “the continuation of the current troubling reality under the 'Netanyahu-Smotrich government,' whose policies toward Palestinians and Arab Israelis are extremely bad, and a less radical right-wing government that may halt this ongoing escalation.”Ghanem argued that both Jewish society and its leaders are now largely positioned between the Right and the far-right. “Even the opposition parties have become right-wing, though in a softer form.”Limited alternativesFrom the perspective of Arab citizens, Ghanem explained, the difference between the current government and the opposition bloc is a matter of degree rather than substance. “Neither Netanyahu's government nor his political rivals from the opposition parties have shown willingness to integrate Arab-Israelis into decision-making processes or allocate adequate budgets to Arab society.“The far-right is openly seeking to marginalize and exclude Arab Israelis from the political system. They would prefer that we weren't here at all. They don't accept our presence, and don't differentiate between an Arab from Hebron and an Arab from Haifa,” Ghanem said, pointing to efforts in the Knesset to disqualify Arab parties and some of their representatives from running in the elections. Several of those cases reached the Supreme Court.The court overturned most of the Central Elections Committee's decisions, ruling that United Arab List (Ra'am) leader Mansour Abbas, as well as the Joint List, comprising Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad, could participate in the elections.Regarding Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh, the court recommended that he step down following an article he published days after the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, which he described as “an important historic event – militarily, politically and strategically.” He said that he rejects violence and terrorist actions, and that the article “contains things that were wrong.” On October 2, he withdrew his candidacy.Ghanem said that despite widespread disillusionment, many Arab voters recognize what is at stake. He argued that participation in the October 27 Knesset elections is crucial to prevent further deterioration in policies and attitudes toward Arab society.“We can see the far-right's campaign to Judaize the Galilee and Negev,” Ghanem claimed. “Among other problems, Arabs also suffer from a lack of services and are not treated as equal citizens in this country.”He also pointed to divisions within Arab politics. While some support joining a governing coalition, a position mainly represented by Ra'am head Mansour Abbas, others are more hesitant about it. “There are disagreements,” Ghanem said, “but there is one thing that largely unites the Arab public, which is the understanding that this bad far-right government needs to go.”He added that the question is not only what Arab voters want, but what Jewish society and its politicians are willing to accept.The turnout factor Dr. Thabet Abu Rass, an expert on Jewish-Arab relations, said he believes that voter turnout among Arab Israelis will be a key factor in determining how many seats Arab parties secure in the Knesset. “We are a political power that cannot be ignored,” he said.“The path to gaining more influence in Israeli politics and society depends on how big we are in the Knesset. I believe Arab parties can get more than 13 mandates. The more seats we have, the greater our ability to demand resources and fulfill our community's needs,” he observed.Abu Rass, who has worked for years to promote Jewish-Arab coexistence and previously served as co-director of the Abraham Initiatives, described the elections as “existential” for Arab society. “For the first time,” he argued, “Arab citizens feel their existence in the country is threatened.“Many Arab citizens feel targeted, ranging from issues of freedom of speech to personal security,” he said. “Part of that is because of the right-wing, which has gained key positions and fueled a climate of incitement, portraying Arabs as dangerous or enemies. This harms not only relations between Jews and Arabs living together in this land, but also the State of Israel itself.“The Israeli citizen today doesn't feel respected by state institutions,” Abu Rass said, adding that he sees a strong desire for political change among Arab citizens.He noted that local council leaders are encouraging residents to vote on election day. He also said that the Arab vote could prove important in the event of a tight race between the two main political blocs. “Either Netanyahu's bloc or the opposition's may need, in one way or another, the Arab parties' support to form a coalition.”■