Why are Palestinians voting with their feet in the Israeli elections?

FACT SHEET

Although the Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel have the right to vote in the Israeli elections, many have chosen not to, due to the fact that Israeli politics have been overrun by anti-democratic parties that are preventing the voices of the Arab minority from being heard. Since 1949, when the first Israeli elections were held, the most prominent political parties within Israel have neither promoted peace with the Palestinians, nor have they promoted equal rights for the Palestinians living in Israel. Instead, they support a “Jewish democratic state” that gives rights and privileges to Jewish citizens, ignoring those of the Arab minority. Moreover, Palestinian Arab members of the Knesset (MKs) are being harassed and discredited, as well as being faced with attempts to outlaw them from running in elections. Therefore, more and more Palestinians are not voting due to the fact that their rights are being ignored and they feel that they have nobody worth voting for.

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