As elections loom, Palestinian citizens of Israel remain unsure how, or whether, to engage
An Arab Israeli woman prepares to cast her ballot at a polling station in the northern Israeli town of Umm al-Fahm on 17 March 2015.
Qassam Muaddi writes in Mondoweiss on 21 July 2026 :
As the next Israeli elections draw nearer, with only three months to go, Palestinian citizens of Israel are facing the question of their role and place in Israeli politics. For years, Palestinians with Israeli citizenship have been split between those who support the use of their right to vote and to be represented in the Israeli government, and those who refuse to take part in Israeli elections, which they view as futile.
This year, the question comes in a particularly delicate context. After nearly three years of genocide, and in the midst of an unprecedented rise of far-right, anti-Palestinian sentiment in Israeli politics, many Palestinians in Israel feel the importance of asserting their presence. The possibility of doing so depends on convincing enough Palestinian voters of the utility in their vote, and mobilizing on election day. This requires producing a united Palestinian discourse, which can’t yet be taken for granted.
Palestinian political forces in Israel don’t see the coming elections with the same perspective. While most major parties focus on increasing Palestinian turnout to counter the Israeli far-right and assert the weight of Palestinian presence, some prioritize winning a seat in the coming government – even if it comes at the expense of united Palestinian representation. These differences arise amidst an increasing state crackdown on Palestinian activism in Israel, a worsening of conditions among Palestinians in terms of insecurity and demolitions of their property, and an exponential rise in religious and ethnic Israeli extremism and hostility towards Palestinians.