Skip to main content

Joint List leaders must seize momentum

Israeli Arab experts agree that uniting the Arab parties into one joint list is an achievement in itself, but the political leaders must now seize the momentum to address the issues that preoccupy their constituency.
Israeli parliament member Jamal Zahalka delivers a speech as fellow members of the Arab united list for Israel general elections, Israeli-Arab lawyer Ayman Odeh (L), MPs Masud Ghanayem (2nd R) and  Ahmad Tibi (R) listen during a press conference in Tel Aviv on February 11, 2015. For the first time since the creation of Israel in 1948, several Arab Israeli parties have come together to present a united front at the next general elections in March AFP PHOTO/GIL COHEN-MAGEN        (Photo credit should read GIL
Read in 

A month ago, Ayman Odeh, chairman of the Joint List of predominately Arab parties, was relatively unknown among the public. Ever since the Arab parties united, however, and formed a single list, he has become a popular interview subject on all of the political news shows. He has even been mentioned as a possible leader of the opposition if, after the elections, the two largest parties — Likud and Zionist Camp — form a unity government, and the Joint List is the third-largest party. The scenario, considered highly unlikely, is based on polls that predict the party will win 13 seats, or in other words, more than either HaBayit HaYehudi or Yesh Atid.

Much has been written about how Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, who pushed to raise the electoral threshold to reduce Arab representation in the Knesset, actually ended up forcing the Arab parties to unite in a single list, fulfilling the wishes of most of the people that these parties represent. It was Liberman of all people who enabled the Arab parliamentarians to overcome deep-rooted ideological differences and personal rivalries to create a single, large list. And this happened while Liberman himself was floundering in the polls because of the criminal investigations involving senior members of his own party.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.