Poll: Arabs to shun Zionist parties

Zionist parties will lose support among Israel’s Arab voters, a poll published on Thursday shows.

According to Professor Sami Smooha of Haifa University, the percentage of Arab Israeli eligible voters who will vote for Zionist parties will drop from 30 to 16 percent.

Under Israel’s election laws this percentage will win two mandates for Zionist parties.

'Poll’s results contradict widespread expectations'

Prof. Smooha polled 500 Israeli Arab eligible voters, 66.6 percent of respondents said they intend on voting in the upcoming elections. “Experience shows that half of those who intend to vote will not vote at the end of the day. Therefore we estimate that the voting percentage will stand at 60 percent, which is no different from the 2003 elections,” researchers said.

The poll shows that Arab parties will win 12 seats in the 17th Knesset, should Arab voters make up 10 percent of all voters. Balad will win 4 sets, Hadash 3, and Taal-United Arab List will garner 3 seats.

“The poll’s results contradict widespread expectations among the public that voting rates will continue to drop, that Arab parties will not pass the occlusion percentage and that Zionist parties will gain more Arab votes,” a researcher said. “Also, they contradict polls which predicted that Hadash and Taal-United Arab List will garner more support than Balad, and that Zionist parties will score high showings,” they added.

Researchers said Arab Israelis should seek governance autonomy as is the case among minorities around the world. Only when autonomy is granted to Arab Israelis, which allows a veto right on minority issues, there will be enough ground for the Arab public to play an active role in Israeli politics. Some 5 percent of the sector refrains from voting for ideological reasons against 15 percent for political reasons.