Polls predict that turnout among Arab Israelis in Tuesday’s election will plummet.
People in Kafr Yasif listen to Arab Israeli politician Ayman Odeh speak at a campaign appearance Friday. By Loveday Morris Loveday Morris Jerusalem bureau chief covering the Middle East Email Bio Follow April 7 at 6:47 PM ARRABA, Israel — Ayman Odeh’s car hurtled between campaign events, screeching around hillside turns at stomach-churning speeds, as aides told him how they thought his last speech went and updated him on the latest on social media.
Turnout in the 2015 election, energized in part by majority Arab parties joining a single parliamentary list, hit a record 63.5 percent. But on Tuesday, it’s expected to crash — some polls show that just over half of Arab Israelis plan to cast ballots. In February, Netanyahu cut a deal with the extreme right-wing Jewish Power party, which has called for the expulsion of Arab citizens. He argued that the move was necessary to hold on to right-wing votes.
“It seems this time we will have the lowest level of turnout ever, and that’s because of the collapse in the joint list,” said Asad Ghanem, a politics professor at the University of Haifa. “That means the collapse of the joint list could be the main reason behind a victory for Netanyahu and those who didn’t work to repair it are responsible.”
In 2015, Netanyahu was widely criticized for his election day warning that Arab Israelis were flocking to the polls in “droves,” an appeal to the fears of his right-wing base.During the high-speed car ride to Odeh’s second event, an aide told him Netanyahu had posted a new Facebook video he should watch. The candidate pulled out his phone.
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