MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi (Meretz), who voted against the Draft Law and thus caused for it not to be passed in a vote in the Knesset, explained that she did so in protest of the coalition's policy toward the Arab public.
"The coalition crossed all the red lines in the expulsion and planting operations in the Negev by the JNF and approved the 'fascist and racist' citizenship bill introduced by MK Simcha Rothman of Religious Zionism," she said.
"I voted with my conscience and with Arab society," Zoabi added, noting that "the coalition is committed to change towards Arab society but unfortunately these laws teach that the opposite is true, and therefore the interest of my people is above all."
Meanwhile, the predominantly Arab Joint List party attacked Ra’am over the fact that three of its Knesset members voted in favor of the Draft Law.
A statement published by the party said that "this law seeks to strengthen the forces of the 'Israeli occupation army’ which oppresses the Palestinian people and is waging wars against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip."
According to the Joint List, "the vote of Ra’am harms the Palestinian people, since increasing the IDF's manpower will help maintain Israel's hegemony in the region and the Palestinian people in particular, and there is concern that this law will pave the way for another law to recruit Arabs to the army."