Abir Kopty
Photo: Yossi Tzabker
Just no Arabs
Radical right-wing parties are considered potential coalition partners. Only the Arab parties are off-limits
Is democracy not government "of the people"? Does it not wave the flag majority interest while protecting the rights of minorities? Israel tries to embrace both ideas at the same time.
Firstly, it is not at all clear that the interest of the majority gains expression from its elected leaders. The state is ruled by a Jewish-Ashkenazi-male elite, whose main qualifications are senior IDF positions or money.
But are they the majority? Do they represent the majority? After all, most of the population (51 percent) is female, and not necessarily Ashkenazi. But the old school elite continues to rule Israeli politics.
Neglecting minorities
Secondly, Israeli democracy has neglected and abandoned the rights of minorities, first and foremost their right to representation. For next week's elections to the 17th Knesset, parties will require two percent of the overall vote to gain entry to parliament, thus blocking the way of small parties into the Knesset.
This is a real, present danger for democracy. If these parties do not get in, the voices of minority groups in Israeli society will fail to be heard, mainly Arab citizens of Israel. And even if these groups do make it into the Knesset, they would appear destined to remain outside in any event.
Arab 'threat'
The parties representing the Arab public in Israel, and especially the three main ones – Hadash, Balad and Ra'am – have never been asked to join a government. In the past, when Yitzhak Rabin needed a block of support to ensure passage for the Oslo agreements, he enjoyed support from Hadash and the Arab Democratic Party (today part of the Ra'am coalition).
That support was enough to raise fears about the Arab "threat" in the Knesset. Since then, we have seen a growing process to de-legitimize Arab politicians.
Whereas Avigdor Lieberman and other radical right-wing politicians – whose platform present a real danger to all citizens of this country, not just Arabs – are mentioned as potential, legitimate coalition partners, not one party expected to put together the next government has even considered the possibility that Arab parties would be included.
This is no surprise. When Labor Party chairman Amir Peretz said he would not rule out this option, there was a virtual earthquake, and he was attacked from right and left.
This experience threw him so badly that today, on the party's election broadcasts, the party hides its Arab candidates.
No expectations
The truth is that the Arab parties do not expect to be invited to coalition talks. As long as the State of Israel remains a capitalistic occupier and continues to discriminate against the Arab community, the Arab parties will not survive in any government.
In this way, too, the coalition does not allow the people freedom of choice, and they are forced in many cases to vote for laws against their conscious, or against the communities they are supposedly meant to represent.
How can the Arab parties be asked to actively support plans to expropriate Arab lands and destruction of homes? How can they be expected to vote for a budget that devotes half of the country's resources to the occupation, but just three percent to the Arab sector? How can they vote for racist laws such as the Citizenship Law?
The participation of Arab parties in the coalition could have brought true change to the government's policy with regard to the country's overall citizenship, and could have created hope for everyone.
But as of now, it is of course impossible. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, it is more important than ever to get out and vote.
Abir Kopty is an Arab-Israeli journalist
