‘The biggest motivation is fear’: High turnout among Israel’s Palestinians could unseat Netanyahu
The Knesset is up for grabs next week and the Arab community is desperate to topple the far-right ruling coalition
TL;DR
- Palestinian citizens of Israel, making up about 20% of the population, are seen as critical to efforts to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition.
- While most polls suggest Netanyahu's coalition may lose its majority, the Jewish Israeli opposition might also fall short of forming a government without potential alliances.
- Despite political challenges and past precedents, there's a push for high turnout among the Arab community to influence election outcomes.
- Fear of potential acceleration of policies like ethnic cleansing, annexation, and increasing racism and discrimination is a primary motivator for many Palestinian voters.
- Some Palestinians choose not to vote on principle, viewing it as legitimizing a system they believe is stacked against them.
- The history of violence against Palestinians in Israel, such as the Kfar Qasim massacre, adds a layer of historical vulnerability to the current political considerations.