Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Balad (National Democratic Assembly) party, is warning of attempts by Zionist parties to attract votes from Arab voters in the upcoming elections.
In an interview with the Arab-Israeli news website Al-Jarmaq, Abu Shehadeh described this possibility as a “very serious threat," against the backdrop of the political circumstances facing Arab society.
Abu Shehadeh said that Arab parties will confront the challenge through an “organized campaign," stressing that Zionist parties support “racist policies and war crimes against our people."
According to him, Arab voting for Zionist parties began after the “Nakba," with one of the reasons being fear of the ruling party, which he claimed used threats against Arab society.
He added that Balad’s entry into the political arena marked a turning point in voting patterns among Arab citizens, resulting in a majority of votes shifting to Arab parties. Al-Jarmaq noted that the Arab parties are pursuing two parallel goals: increasing Arab voter turnout and preventing Arab votes from shifting to Zionist parties.