(JNS) As the October elections in Israel draw closer, public debate is focusing increasingly on the role of the Arab parties and the Arab electorate in the Jewish nation-state.
This distinction—between party and voter—is important for our discussion and essential to illuminating a frequently misunderstood point in the public debate. This is particularly true in light of rumors that a former senior police officer is planning to join the ranks of the Islamic Ra’am (United Arab List) Party, an affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood—a move that would presumably obscure the true Islamist nature of the party among certain segments of the electorate.
‘Arabs flocking to polls in droves’
The question of Arab participation in parliamentary elections in the Jewish state was a major media issue during the 2015 election, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: “Arab voters are flocking to the polling stations in droves.”
This declaration was seized...
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