Knesset elections .. Palestinians inside are divided between boycott and participation

Reham Athamleh - Nazareth

"There is no room for gray in situations." A principle adhered to by Arab voters inside the Palestinian territories, whether they decide to participate or boycott the Israeli elections scheduled for Tuesday.

With the approach of the decisive day, attitudes intensify and debates intensify, and opinions vary between sections that refuse to take the Israeli Knesset platform, and who joined the boycott after years of participation because of what he sees as "let us down and disappointment" of the approach and rhetoric of Arab parties participating in the Knesset.

On the other hand, there is a third party represented by Palestinians who chose to vote and participate in the elections to reject what they see as "racist policies pursued by the extreme right-wing government" against Arab citizens, which have intensified, they say, recently through statements and policies against Arabs, especially the current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Weak participation
Supporters of boycott and participation in the Arab community are particularly active within the Palestinian community, especially after the weaker participation of Arabs in the last Knesset elections in April, where only 49% of the Arabs participated, while the percentage of public participation reached 64%.

The Arab turnout was 64% in the 2015 Knesset elections, down from 54% in the 2013 elections.

There are widespread campaigns in the Arab community in the Palestinian territories to raise the percentage of voting for the Israeli Knesset elections.

Vote campaigns
Among them is the Sikku Society for Arab-Jewish Equality, one of many that has organized many campaigns to support Arab voting in the Knesset elections.

The association's director, Amjad Shbaita, says it is his duty to confront right-wing incitement, which argues that Arab MKs are not working for the Arabs.

He adds that his association has launched a campaign to reveal the reality of the activity of Arab deputies, and that they "are doing their duty towards the Arab society with regard to daily issues."

However, political analyst calling for a boycott of the Knesset elections, Elif Sabegh, said that these associations are working to raise the rate of voting, especially among Arabs, "is not love and pride in the Arabs, but to show Israel in the best image before the world public opinion as a democracy."

Laws against the Arabs
Sabbagh told Al-Jazeera Net, "The boycott is the attitude of a people who review their career and their relationship with Israel in general and with the Knesset institution in particular."

The boycott, says Sabbagh, also represents a review of the relationship between the Palestinian Arab public and the parliamentary lists "as a result of the accumulation of experience and disappointments, especially after attempts to mislead and the pressure sometimes made by some to subject the boycott and return them to the herd of voters," he described.

"After many decades, the policy of this country proved that reconciliation with it is just illusions and false hopes that are quickly dissipated, especially after the passage of the Nationality Law and the Cummins House Demolition Law."

Interestingly, in his view, these laws were approved "the presence of Arab representation in the Israeli parliament at the highest levels," and increased "here either to boycott parties or parliamentary lists or punish them."

Mohammed Kanaaneh, a leader of the "Sons of the Country" movement, agrees. "The boycott of the Knesset is part of the anti-colonial project as the highest legislative authority in the occupation," he said.

He told Al-Jazeera Net that `` the entrance to the Knesset is only to grant legitimacy to this entity, as if what happened from the Nakba in 48 is a passing thing, especially that the presence in the Israeli parliament is conditioned on the oath of loyalty and recognition that Israel is a Jewish and democratic state, and that it embodies the right of self-determination of the Jews.

He pointed out that there is a need to organize the Palestinian masses outside the framework of the Knesset on the basis of the long-term national vision in the preservation of identity and resilience and linking it with the need to follow up on various issues through national institutions and popular and civil organizations.

Interrupt exclusion of the same
On the other hand, Arab politicians and MPs from the most active and prominent parties in the Israeli political arena believe that strengthening parliamentary representation by raising the percentage of votes would seriously change the balance of political power in the Knesset.

In their view, enhanced participation contributes to blocking the way for Netanyahu to form a new settler and racist government based on the extreme right and fascist.

Yusuf Jabarin, a member of the Knesset, told Al-Jazeera Net that every additional member of the Knesset's joint list "means more power for us to pursue and address our burning issues." The most prominent of these issues - according to Jabarin - issues of land, housing and construction areas, in addition to education, and discrimination in the budgets necessary for the advancement of our Arab towns.

Jabarin draws on his experience in raising the issues of Arab citizens in the international arena.``From my experience in recent years, a strong and large joint list can also raise our voice more strongly in international forums and raise international awareness of discrimination against us in order to recruit an international public opinion that supports our rights. ''

Participation is the foundation
The Arab Knesset MP Mansour Abbas believes that the basic rule is to participate in public political affairs and seek to elect those who represent the Arabs and defend their rights, and express their positions before the ruling authority in Israel.

Abbas describes the boycott in its current framework as "self-exclusion from the circle of participation and influence," and also said, "There is no doubt that the boycott will continuously contribute to the rule of the right and Netanyahu, and lead to great risks; Al-Aqsa and its division, and continued incitement to the Arab presence and role within Israel and damage their status and other dangers ahead. "

While a significant part of the internal Palestinians have resolved their attitude towards boycott or participation in the Knesset elections, boycott and participation campaigns are active to woo those who remain hesitant, amid analyzes of participation rates that may not differ much from what was witnessed last April elections, which funds will answer Tomorrow is Tuesday.