A poll carried out by a leading Arab newspaper in Israel, Kol Al Arab, estimates that 69% of Israel’s Arab citizens will vote in the general election this Tuesday.
If the Nazerth paper’s estimate is correct, this may be the first time since the establishment of the State in 1948, that Arab voter turnout is higher than that of the Jewish population. Jewish voter turnout is expected to hover around 60%.
The paper’s editor, Zohir Andreas, explained that Arab worries about a right wing party, Yisrael Beitaynu, headed by Avigdor Lieberman, was the main reason behind the expectation of an unusually high turnout in the Arab sector.
Lieberman has advocated transferring Israeli territory heavily populated by Arabs to the Palestinian Authority in exchange for Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. Arabs living in Israel’s pre-1967 borders, who overwhelmingly prefer remaining Israeli citizens, are expected to express their preference at the ballot box.
Ironically, most of these Arabs will likely vote for parties such as Balad, headed by MK Azmi Bishara, which favor replacing Israel with an Arab state. Around 20% of the Arab vote is expected to go to Zionist parties, (less than in previous elections) mostly those on the left of the political spectrum.
Andreas asserts that his paper’s poll is more reliable than those conducted by Jewish organizations, because his pollsters are Arabs, and Arab constituents are more likely to reveal their actual preferences to Arab pollsters. Andreas says his poll even reached “Arab Bedouins in the Negev.”
If the paper’s analysis proves correct, Andreas estimates that the Arabs will garner 10 Knesset seats, two more than they currently have. He said he expects a larger Arab representation to help the Kadima party and the left wing to form a coalition government. Andreas said he expects the Balad party to be a major beneficiary of the increased Arab turnout. Balad currently has four Knesset representatives.
Until recently, many Jewish pollsters were convinced that a number of prominent Arab parties would not attain the minimum vote necessary (2.5% of the popular vote) to win representation in the Knesset.
If the Nazerth paper’s estimate is correct, this may be the first time since the establishment of the State in 1948, that Arab voter turnout is higher than that of the Jewish population. Jewish voter turnout is expected to hover around 60%.
The paper’s editor, Zohir Andreas, explained that Arab worries about a right wing party, Yisrael Beitaynu, headed by Avigdor Lieberman, was the main reason behind the expectation of an unusually high turnout in the Arab sector.
Lieberman has advocated transferring Israeli territory heavily populated by Arabs to the Palestinian Authority in exchange for Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. Arabs living in Israel’s pre-1967 borders, who overwhelmingly prefer remaining Israeli citizens, are expected to express their preference at the ballot box.
Ironically, most of these Arabs will likely vote for parties such as Balad, headed by MK Azmi Bishara, which favor replacing Israel with an Arab state. Around 20% of the Arab vote is expected to go to Zionist parties, (less than in previous elections) mostly those on the left of the political spectrum.
Andreas asserts that his paper’s poll is more reliable than those conducted by Jewish organizations, because his pollsters are Arabs, and Arab constituents are more likely to reveal their actual preferences to Arab pollsters. Andreas says his poll even reached “Arab Bedouins in the Negev.”
If the paper’s analysis proves correct, Andreas estimates that the Arabs will garner 10 Knesset seats, two more than they currently have. He said he expects a larger Arab representation to help the Kadima party and the left wing to form a coalition government. Andreas said he expects the Balad party to be a major beneficiary of the increased Arab turnout. Balad currently has four Knesset representatives.
Until recently, many Jewish pollsters were convinced that a number of prominent Arab parties would not attain the minimum vote necessary (2.5% of the popular vote) to win representation in the Knesset.