Israel’s Arab parties rue a dismal election result

For Israel’s Arab community it was a dismal election. In 2015, the united Joint List representing its various groupings ushered turnout to 63 per cent and saw it win 13 seats, including the Jewish MK Dov Hanin.

Now a split has seen it fall to six seats for Hadash-Taal and four for Raam-Balad.

Turnout this time was just above 50 per cent — caused in part by anger over the Nation State law but also the delegitimisation of Arab votes during the campaign. This was not just from the right, which was accused of voter intimidation over Likud’s attempt to equip its election observers with hidden cameras, but also by Blue & White, which categorically ruled out a coalition with Arab parties.

It meant that when Arab party leaders met President Reuven Rivlin for consultations, they made clear they would endorse neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor Benny Gantz.