Arab Parties

Outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz seen with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a ceremony held in honour of incoming IDF chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot (not seen) at a ceremony held in Eizenkot's honour at the PM's office in Jerusalem, on February 16, 2015. Photo by Miriam Alster/FLASH90 *** Local Caption *** ??? ?????? ?????? ??????

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In Israel, ‘politics as usual’ means escalating Palestinian oppression

Three trends from Israel’s do-over election demonstrate that the more Israeli politics stay the same, the more dangerous its policies become. There are many moments in Israeli-Palestinian history where landmark developments seem to change nothing and everything at the same time. Israel’s September election is one of them. While featuring many familiar and predictable patterns, the latest…

By Amjad Iraqi October 4, 2019

The Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade, June 26, 2008. (Photo by Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

The cynical use of homophobia to attack the Joint List

The Pride Parade has become a litmus test of enlightenment for politicians. But clinging to that symbol is dangerous in that it disconnects the parade from its actual context — the LGBTQ community’s struggle for equal rights. By Inna Michaeli In a video question-and-answer segment produced by Haaretz this week, Arab actress and singer Mira…

By +972 Magazine March 12, 2015

Hadash chairman Ayman Odeh at a press conference, February 11, 2015. (Photo by Activestills.org)

Only Israel’s public TV gives equal coverage to Arab Joint List

Despite polling better in than mid-sized Jewish parties, the Israeli media is simply paying less attention to the Arab Joint List. By Oren Persico Israel’s public television, Channel 1, is devoting more time to reporting on the Joint Arab List running for Israel’s Knesset than the country’s other commercial television news channels, a survey of…

By The Seventh Eye February 21, 2015

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Joint List head Ayman Odeh speaks at the List's Arabic launch event, Nazareth. (Photo courtesy of the Joint List)

A glimmer of hope against incitement and racism

Jamal Zahalka promises that the Joint List will remain together for a long time, Dov Khenin tugs at our heart strings, the head of the Islamic Movement speaks of the men and women who make history, and Ayman Odeh, who heads the slate, calls on Arabs members of the Zionist parties to come back home.…

By Samah Salaime February 19, 2015

MK Haneen Zoabi addresses the Central Elections Committee during a hearing over her disqualification from Knesset elections, February 12, 2015. (Screenshot)

It’s time to disqualify Israel’s Central Elections Committee

In the run-up to every general election since 2003, Arab parties and candidates have been forced to appear in front of this committee to prove that they deserve to participate in Knesset elections. The only thing worse than the process itself is the racist atmosphere in the meetings. By Salah Mohsen The Central Elections Committee…

By +972 Magazine February 16, 2015

‘Israel Hayom,’ where democracy is for Jews alone

The pro-Netanyahu newspaper launched a new online questionnaire to help readers decide which party represents them. Jewish readers, that is. By Oren Persico / ‘The 7th Eye’ Israel Hayom, the most widely-distributed newspaper in the country, continues to exclude Arab citizens from its coverage of the upcoming elections. A new web-based initiative that gives the…

By The Seventh Eye February 14, 2015

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands on a tractor during a campaign event in the city of Ra'anana in central Israel, February 11, 2015. (Photo by Activestills.org)

The road to a fourth Netanyahu gov’t runs through Haneen Zoabi

The ‘Zionist Camp’ needs the Arab parties in order to form a government. Its decision to vote for disqualifying Zoabi makes that support less and less likely. The Central Elections Commission on Thursday disqualified MK Haneen Zoabi and candidate Baruch Marzel from running in Israel’s upcoming elections. The decision is not final without the approval…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man February 12, 2015

Hadash Chairman Ayman Odeh. Odeh was elected to first place in the united Arab slate. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

Israeli election coverage: ‘Our Ahmad is named Ayman’

In its coverage of the elections, the Israeli media generally portrays political parties with pictures of their chairpersons — that is, except for the joint Arab list. By Elad Harlev / ‘The 7th Eye‘ Earlier this week, Oren Persico called out the Israeli media for its representations, or lack thereof, of non-Jewish Israelis. The story,…

By The Seventh Eye February 5, 2015

MK Jamal Zahalka (Balad) marches along with thousands of people march through Jerusalem in support and solidarity with the Max Rayne “Hand in Hand” bilingual school, which was the target of a racist arson attack a week earlier, Jerusalem, December 5, 2014. (Photo by Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

‘A Palestinian state isn’t the solution, but it’s a step in the right direction’: Meet MK Jamal Zahalka

Chairman of the Balad party says that unification of Israel’s Arab parties is nothing short of historic — both in Israel and the Arab world: ‘There has never been unity between the communists, nationalists and Islamists.’ In an interview, Zahalka talks about his party’s appeal to Jewish voters, why the Joint List won’t join an…

By Orly Noy February 5, 2015

MK Ibrahim Zarzur (center) and MK Ahmad Tibi (photo: Yotam Ronen / activestills.org)

The Arab parties united? Great, now it’s time to get to work

After a great deal of work, the joint Arab election slate has finally come into fruition. But what does the list say about the place of women in Arab politics? Who proved himself to be the real leader of the group? And what can the Arab public do now? You know that joke about how…

By Samah Salaime January 24, 2015

Members of newly announced "United List" of Arab parties in Israel ahead of March 17, 2015 election Photo: Courtesy Balad)

Arab parties announce joint slate for upcoming election

In a bid to remain relevant with an increased electoral threshold, the three Arab parties and Communist party Hadash are to run on one list in the March 17 elections. In an unprecedented, historic move, Israel’s Arab parties Hadash, Balad, Ta’al and Ra’am announced late Thursday night that they will run on a joint slate…

By Mairav Zonszein January 22, 2015

Arab parties likely to announce historic joint election slate in coming days

Islamists, Marxists, women and Jews: The Arab parties have done the seemingly impossible and are likely announce a united election slate in the coming days. By Yael Marom and Nadav Frankovich Israel’s Arab parties are expected to announce the formation of a combined election slate in the lead-up to the upcoming elections. The slate, which…

By +972 Magazine January 22, 2015

Raam-Taal MK Ahmad Tibi (L) and Balad MK Jamal Zahalka (Photo by Activestills.org)

Why won’t the Arab parties just unite already?

Raising the Knesset threshold was a game-changer, and now the Arab parties must find a way to unite in order to stay relevant. Will they put aside their egos and political differences for the sake of Israel’s Palestinian minority? A war of attrition has been declared on the Palestinian minority in Israel, in the wake…

By Samah Salaime January 8, 2015