If there is one thing you can say about Tuesday's elections – Israel's fourth in the span of two years – with certainty, is that this time, the Arab Israeli vote is not feared, rather desired.
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Israeli parties vying for parliament have never invested considerable resources in courting the Arab vote, but this last campaign has most likely laid the groundwork for including an Arab party in the coalition and eventually in the government – in a decade or two.
Unlike in past campaigns, this time, the Arab vote has been perceived and legitimate – even crucial – regardless of who they vote for. This approach is new and welcome, although it is somewhat too little, too late. Then again, better late than never.
The Arab demographic in Israel is considered young and over half of its 2 million members are eligible voters. This means that it can reach as many as 20 Knesset seats, if not for the low voter turnout.
The truth is that only about half of eligible voters in the Arab Israeli sector exercise their right but not over ideology. They have simply become indifferent.
This may sound grandiose and even fantastical – and to many Jews impossible, immoral and a threat to the Zionist enterprise – but politics is the art of the possible, and whoever President Reuven Rivlin tasks with forming the government could be responsible for a historic turning point in the relationship between the State of Israel and its Arab citizens, as well as with their representatives in the Knesset.
This would entail including an Arab party in the coalition – not the government – in exchange to its endorsement and support, and as part of a coalition agreement aimed at connecting the Israeli Arabs to the state.
For decades, Arab society has been dealing with institutional neglect and discrimination – something on which the Right and the Left agree, but they disagree on how to best deal with the situation.
It is time to see Arab Israelis as an integral part of the state; as a sector that has and will continue to contribute to Israel in every aspect and on every level – from the construction worker to the university professor.
The next government must tackle the crime running rampant in the Arab sector, and it must promote plans for the economic development of Arab communities across the board and not only through affirmative action.
Before it is too late, the next government must prioritize national and strategic goals by which Arabs Israelis are seen as key players in the political game in the coalition – not the opposition.
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