Arabs holding Israeli citizenship have been urged by the PA to "snub" Likud leader and Prime Ministerial candidate Ariel Sharon. So reports the Jordan Times. In an indirect endorsement of Ehud Barak, PLO official Yasser Abed Rabbo said "All Palestinian people, wherever they are, must stand united to stop Sharon from reaching power to avoid a setback in the peace process." The Arab Israeli sector, notes the Times, comprises 12.3 % of the vote, and is crucial to Barak's re-election hopes. Abed Rabbo's agenda apparently does not jibe with that of Arab MK Talab Al-Sane, who says that the majority of Arabs will boycott the election to express their displeasure with Barak. Other Israeli-Arab parties are calling on Arabs to place a white slip in the ballot box. Al-Sane said he did not expect more than 30 per cent of Arab voters to go to the ballot boxes.
Referring to the Arab-initiated riots throughout Israel this past fall, the paper notes that Israeli Arabs are "angry at Barak after Israeli police killed 13 Arab citizens in October during unarmed protests against the killing of scores of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers in the occupied territories."
"(But) even a blank ballot could be regarded as a victory for Sharon," said Yasser Abed Rabbo. "It's not a question of who will win or lose. The biggest issue is that Sharon is the enemy of peace."
Referring to the Arab-initiated riots throughout Israel this past fall, the paper notes that Israeli Arabs are "angry at Barak after Israeli police killed 13 Arab citizens in October during unarmed protests against the killing of scores of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers in the occupied territories."
"(But) even a blank ballot could be regarded as a victory for Sharon," said Yasser Abed Rabbo. "It's not a question of who will win or lose. The biggest issue is that Sharon is the enemy of peace."