I suspect this will be the last time this is allowed to happen, though I could be wrong!
Taibeh, Israel — For decades, many Palestinian citizens of Israel stayed away from the polls, refusing to legitimize a system they say has oppressed their people, sidelined their concerns, and failed to represent them.
But this time felt different: after four years under the most right-wing government in Israel’s history, hundreds of thousands of Arab voters decided they could not afford to sit on the sidelines.
They turned out in record numbers – nearly 80% – to vote on Tuesday, compared with 53% in the last elections, according to the Mossawa Center, a civil society organization promoting equality for Palestinian citizens of Israel. That turnout gives Israel’s Arab parties unprecedented political sway with 19 seats in the 120-seat parliament.
I get why many boycotted, though it definitely served the interests of their oppressors to do so.