One of the most intriguing trends to emerge in the 2021 election campaign is the fact that almost all the parties across the political spectrum are courting Arab candidates.
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They seem to be in high demand especially among right-wing parties and regardless of the purely utilitarian motive, it is still impossible to overstate the importance of this shift, by which political parties have realized that they cannot vie for the Knesset sans candidates representing the Arab sector.
Naturally, one hopes that this will translate into a real interest in the issues plaguing Arab Israeli society, such as irradiating violence and promoting economic development.
The "casting" process for Arab candidates in the Right is reminiscent of the way the Left went about this several decades ago. The Left's efforts translated into an electoral success that has yielded actual Knesset seats, but it still failed to form a true, lasting Arab-Jewish partnership, rather than a seasonal one.
In those days, Arab voters gave their vote to the establishment, sometimes as a clan, as part of a give-and-take relationship with the government and without the real desire for full social integration.
The current reality is different. Since the 1993 Oslo Accords, it has become clear to many Arab Israelis that their future citizenship will not be Palestinian, and they must fight for their civil rights in Israel. This is one of the reasons the Joint Arab List, which comprises the Balad, Ra'am, Hadash, and Ta'al parties, has such a wide electoral appeal.
Recent polls predict that come March 23, tens of thousands of Arab Israelis plan to vote for Zionist parties. This has the heads of the Arab parties profoundly concerned and they are scrambling to prevent it.
It is, however, highly unlikely that they will be able to do so, as Arab voters are deeply disappointed with the Joint Arab List's performance and the internal strife constantly plaguing it.
The shift among Arab Israeli voters is not ideological, but it also should not be billed as a "protest vote" meant to teach the Arab parties a lesson. Rather, it reflects a pragmatic aspiration to impact the country's centers of power.
In other words, the rationale currently driving Arab voters is, why vote for a faction like the Joint Arab List, which states ahead of time it will only ever be part of the opposition when they can vote for a party that will partake in the coalition – and perhaps even the ruling party?
The same rationale could later evolve into increased involvement in party institutions, civic groups, and thousands - even tens of thousands - who will become registered members of major parties and will therefore have a direct impact on these parties' slates and promote the candidates of their choice, regardless of the reserved slots system.
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Most parties do not intend to hold primaries ahead of the March 23 elections over coronavirus restrictions, but future primaries will be held, giving Arab voters the opportunity to actively take part in an internal political partnership. If anything, it is clear that Arab politics in Israel is ready for a deep change.
Jalal Bana is a media adviser and journalist.
