The Arab vote in Israel-Legality, Morality and Security
Dr. Martin Sherman analyzes the political role of Arab parties and voters in Israel, arguing that the debate often conflates the two. He defends Benjamin Netanyahu's 2015 election comments, suggesting they were a legitimate political tactic rather than an act of racism.
Why it matters
The article addresses the complex intersection of ethnic identity, democratic participation, and national security in Israeli politics.
Dr. Martin Sherman
is
an Israeli strategist and founder of the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies.
As the October elections draw closer, the public debate focuses 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 is essential in illuminating a frequently misunderstood point in the public debate. This is particularly true in light of the rumors that a former
senior police officer
is planning to join the ranks of the Islamic Ra’am (The 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 item during the 2015 election, when PM Netanyahu
warned
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