Arab voter turnout on Tuesday increased by 3 percentage points over 2009 to
reach 56 percent, according to statistics released by the Central Elections
Committee.
This is the first time since 2000 that there has been an
increase from the sector. Nevertheless, the three Arab parties maintained the
total of 11 Knesset seats they won four years ago.
“The high voting rates
reflect the will of the Arab public to take part in the Israeli political
process,” The Abraham Fund Initiatives – an NGO promoting coexistence and
equality among Israel’s Jewish and Arab citizens, said in a report released on
Wednesday.
Despite a previous downward trend in Arab voting, this
election showed that the Arab public believes in their representatives in the
Knesset and in their ability to promote Arab interests, according to the
report.
Amnon Beeri-Sulitzeanu, co-executive director of The Abraham
Fund, told
The Jerusalem Post that the voting data showed a higher turnout rate
than the 53% in 2009.
“We have been working hard to get out the Arab vote
regardless of who they were voting for, just as long as they would use their
civic right to vote,” Beeri-Sulitzeanu said.
“What we saw [on Tuesday]
night was a sign of confidence by Arab voters in their leaders and parties. It
was also a signal from the Arab community that they want to be engaged in the
political system.”
He called this a “very significant” change.
“In
previous years we were talking about disengagement and alienation, but now it
seems that there is a change in the trend and more will [become] engaged. They
are seeking dialogue and engagement with the Jewish majority. Had Arab voter
turnout stayed the same as in 2009, we would have seen a drop in seats for the
Arab parties,” Beeri- Sulitzeanu said.
Kafr Kasim, near Rosh Ha’ayin, led
the Arab sector with close to 80% turnout, according to the Central Elections
Committee.
Other major Arab population centers also had a high turnout:
Jaljulya at 70%, Kafr Bara 59%, Taibe 60%, Tira 59%, Rahat 57%, Umm el-Fahm 57%
and Sakhnin around 80%.
Some interesting results were seen in the Arab
sector, for example in Kafr Kasim, where 12 votes were cast for Bayit Yehudi, 33
for Shas and one for Strong Israel. Many other Arab towns cast small numbers of
votes for right-wing Zionist parties. For example in Sakhnin, in the Western
Galilee, Strong Israel received nine votes, Shas 31 and United Torah Judaism
22.
The Arab parties’ results were as follows: United Arab List-Ta’al
four, Balad three and the Arab-Jewish Hadash four, with other Arab votes going
to Meretz, which has Issawi Freij entering the Knesset on its list.
He
received strong support from his hometown, Kafr Kasim.
Arab party leaders
expressed disappointment that turnout was not even higher, saying more votes
could have tipped the balance, preventing a right-wing
government.
UAL-Ta’al leader Ahmed Tibi told Ynet, “I have no doubt that
we will continue to lead the Arab sector,” but if the turnout had “gone up by
10% we could have toppled the Right’s rule and pushed Netanyahu and Liberman
from leadership. This was a missed opportunity.”
The statistics
contradicted expectations in the Israeli and international media before Election
Day that predicted a drop in Arab turnout.
Hadash MK Dov Henin told the
Post that he is happy that the numbers of Arabs voting increased, because his
party “worked hard” for this.
He said that he was satisfied with Hadash’s
results because it was able to maintain its strength at four mandates, although
it had wanted to grow.
In any case, Henin added, “we are happy because
the Right got weaker.”
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu plan was to hold
early elections in order to win more mandates, “but he got fewer. His plan
failed,” Henin said.