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Arab voters in Israel turn out in force, win new Knesset seats

A united effort helped Arabs in Israel claim two more parliament seats that they hope will translate to a better quality of life.
Ayman Odeh (3rd-L), leader of the Hadash party that is part of the Joint List alliance, gives an address with other alliance leaders at their electoral headquarters in Israel's northern city of Shefa-Amr on March 2, 2020, after polls officially closed. - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to lead his main challenger following elections with multiple exit polls putting his right-wing Likud several seats ahead of the centrist Blue and White party. Exit polls by three Israeli television network

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Nermin Mawaad of Nazareth boycotted the April 2019 Israeli legislative election, but was determined to vote this month.

She told Al-Monitor that because Arab parties ran this time with a unified slate of candidates and because of the dangers haunting Palestinians in the territories in the wake of Washington's peace plan for the Middle East, she felt driven to vote and persuade others to do so too.

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