You could have cut the tension at Joint Arab List headquarters in Shfaram with a knife on Monday night. No shortage of guesses, prognostications and conjecture were thrown in the air over voter turnout in the Arab sector, which up until the late evening hours was lower than expected.
The tension was alleviated by faction chairman, MK Ayman Odeh, who after arriving at the main headquarters in Shfaram with many of the candidates on the List's Knesset ticket, told reporters from the Arab media, who aren't subject to local laws banning campaign propaganda, that according to the figures in his possession, based largely on the televised exit polls, that the Joint Arab List had won at least 14 mandates.
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The final two hours before the closure of voting stations were used by Odeh and his colleagues to encourage and spur Arabs who still hadn't voted to come out and push the List toward 15 and even 16 mandates – the desired magic number.
Although Arab voters came out to vote in solid numbers, contrary to the picture painted by Joint Arab List representatives that this was "a fateful election," many in the Arab street took a more level-headed approach. According to some leaders in the Arab sector, the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu and the Right didn't incite against the Arab public and instead took aim specifically at the List's leaders, Odeh and Ahmad Tibi, contributed to the relative calm between the sides. Coming away with 14 mandates, or more, will be considered a tremendous achievement for the Joint Arab List, less than 13 will be viewed as a disappointment and even a failure.
And yet, judging by the reactions on the Arab street, it is increasingly clear that regardless of the final result, the past year, with its three election campaigns, has illustrated just how hungry the Arab public is to integrate and be an inseparable part of Israeli society. Sadly, the Arab public's leadership isn't mature enough yet to give them what they want.
