Close Menu
    Facebook Instagram LinkedIn
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • English
    • Français (French)
    Facebook Instagram LinkedIn
    Middle East Transparent
    • Home
    • Categories
      1. Headlines
      2. Features
      3. Commentary
      4. Magazine
      Featured
      Headlines Itai Melchior and Nir Boms

      Why al-Sharaa’s success in Syria is good for Israel and the US

      Recent
      3 July 2025

      Why al-Sharaa’s success in Syria is good for Israel and the US

      27 June 2025

      The Poisoned Chalice: President Trump’s Opportunity with Iran

      26 June 2025

      Post-Attack Assessment of the First 12 Days of Israeli and U.S. Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Facilities

    • Contact us
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • English
    • Français (French)
    Middle East Transparent
    You are at:Home»Categories»Commentary»Arabs, boycott the election in droves

    Arabs, boycott the election in droves

    0
    By Salman Masalha on 1 January 2019 Commentary

    The whole existence of these parties, starting from the Arab-Jewish “Mapai” party, otherwise known as Hadash, through the “Muslim Home” party called Ra’am and the “Palestine Beiteinu” party that answers to the name Balad, is to serve as a fig leaf that covers the nakedness of Israel’s so-called democracy. 

     

    There’s not much that can be said about the movements of lone wolf Ahmed Tibi, who during his political life has ridden to the Knesset on the backs of all three parties. Ideology was never too important to him. From his perspective the goal of Knesset membership sanctified all his party-hopping.

    The increased electoral threshold before the last election pushed all of the above parties to take shelter in the Joint List, which won 13 Knesset seats. But its weakness was quickly revealed when arguments broke out among its components over implementing a rotation agreement, exposing the ugly side of the Arab politicians who purport to represent the real interests of the citizens who sent them to the Knesset.

    13 seats are the most the Joint List will get according to the polls, and that’s on a good day. Since they will never be counted in any coalition calculation, their existence is worthless. It could be that the party offers a perfect work arrangement for 13 screamers in the Knesset plenum, but there’s a fly in the ointment. The problem is that they are serving the public relations of the State of Israel. So long as they are sitting in the chamber and making fiery speeches, they will continue to beautify the state to the world, making it look like a vibrant democracy, allegedly the only one in the Middle East, which to western eyes looks like a dying camel.

    So long as this is the case, one can assume that many will come to the conclusion that the Joint List, as it’s being managed now, serves no purpose. They won’t “head to the polls in droves,” as Benjamin Netanyahu quipped in the last election, so the list will lose a lot of votes and won’t even get its 13 seats.

    As someone who knows how Arab politicians think, I’m certain that they won’t be willing to yield their seats, their nice salaries and the honor of walking arm-in-arm at the head of the periodic marches. But Arab citizens won’t derive any benefit from these politicians.

    Therefore, Arab citizens have two choices or two opportunities to tell the world something of value. 

    One option is to disrupt the political and civic system by boycotting the upcoming election. This option would burst the prime minister’s bubble. To the battle cry “the Arabs are heading to the polls in droves,” Arab citizens must respond, “the Arabs are boycotting in droves” the scam of Israeli democracy.

    The second option is, should they nonetheless decide to vote, for them to demand from their MKs to announce in advance that in the event their seats tip the balance they will not agree to be a mere blocking minority. They must come with concrete demands, starting with the revocation of discriminatory laws and ending with control of government ministries. That’s the way to bring about a profound change in Israeli society.

    Since political imagination is a rare commodity among the Arabs and their leaders I don’t foresee such a thing happening. What has been, will continue to be. All of us will continue to wallow in nothingness. 

    Haaretz, Jan. 1, 2019

    *
    For Hebrew, press here

    IN PLACE

    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email WhatsApp Copy Link
    Previous Articleهل سلّمت إيران خرائط أنفاق “حزبها” لإسرائيل؟
    Next Article رئيس المخابرات الحربية: نفوذ إيران في العراق تهديد لإسرائيل
    Subscribe
    Notify of
    guest

    guest

    0 Comments
    Newest
    Oldest Most Voted
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    RSS Recent post in french
    • Nouvelle approche des Forces Libanaises: Alliances ou Endiguement ? 5 July 2025 Kamal Richa
    • Ce que nous attendons de vous, Monsieur le Président 3 July 2025 Michel Hajji Georgiou
    • Il faut être pour Nétanyahou lorsqu’il affaiblit la menace iranienne ; et ardemment contre lui lorsqu’il détruit Gaza 1 July 2025 Denis Charbit
    • En Syrie, la mystérieuse disparition du corps de Hafez el-Assad 11 June 2025 Apolline Convain
    • En Syrie, après les massacres d’alaouites, la difficulté de recueillir des témoignages : « Je n’ai pas confiance » 5 June 2025 Madjid Zerrouky
    RSS Recent post in arabic
    • نهج “القوات اللبنانية” الجديد في الشارع المسيحي: تحالفات أم احتواء؟ 5 July 2025 كمال ريشا
    • (تحديث) رسالة “سرية” من “الإصلاحيين” إلى إسرائيل عرضوا فيها دعمهم لتغيير النظام 5 July 2025 شفاف- خاص
    • الاستدعاءات في لبنان: عودة “الروح العضومية” 4 July 2025 عمر حرقوص
    • ماذا يجري في مرفأ بيروت؟ 4 July 2025 خاص بالشفاف
    • دراسة استطلاعية: أحمد الصراف الكاتب الأكثر قراءة وتأثيراً في الكويت 3 July 2025 الشفّاف
    26 February 2011

    Metransparent Preliminary Black List of Qaddafi’s Financial Aides Outside Libya

    6 December 2008

    Interview with Prof Hafiz Mohammad Saeed

    7 July 2009

    The messy state of the Hindu temples in Pakistan

    27 July 2009

    Sayed Mahmoud El Qemany Apeal to the World Conscience

    8 March 2022

    Russian Orthodox priests call for immediate end to war in Ukraine

    Recent Comments
    • Edward Ziadeh on Why al-Sharaa’s success in Syria is good for Israel and the US
    • Giant Squirrel on Holier Than Thou: Politics and the Pulpit in America
    • Edward Ziadeh on As Church awaits a Conclave, President Trump puts up picture of himself as next Pope
    • Victoria Perea on As Church awaits a Conclave, President Trump puts up picture of himself as next Pope
    • Victoria Perea on As Church awaits a Conclave, President Trump puts up picture of himself as next Pope
    Donate
    Donate
    © 2025 Middle East Transparent

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    loader

    Inscrivez-vous à la newsletter

    En vous inscrivant, vous acceptez nos conditions et notre politique de confidentialité.

    loader

    Subscribe to updates

    By signing up, you agree to our terms privacy policy agreement.

    loader

    اشترك في التحديثات

    بالتسجيل، فإنك توافق على شروطنا واتفاقية سياسة الخصوصية الخاصة بنا.

    wpDiscuz