Hadash-Ta’al joint list launched appeal calling on Israel’s democratic Jewish to support them with a “strategic vote” amid growing worries over a low projected turnout at the polls.

According to internal surveys held in recent days, turnout is expected to range between 47 and 51 percent among Arab voters. In the last Knesset, turnout in Arab communities was 44.6 percent. Despite these concerns, Hadash noted that in recent days there seems to be an uptick in the inclination to vote.

Hadash demonstrators against occupation in Central Tel-Aviv (Photo: Hadash)

Hadash–Ta’al leaders Ayman Odeh and Ahmad Tibi posted a video on Twitter in Hebrew, targeting Jewish audiences and urging their support to counter a possible far-right government with racist MK Itamar Ben-Gvir and his allies. Hadash is the party most deserving of the award for keeping the flame of Jewish-Arab partnership alive, what used to be called “Jewish-Arab brotherhood”. 

“Without us, the right has a full government. To stop them, we need you with us,” the video said. “A vote for our party is what will determine the face of politics, it will prevent the Ben-Gvirs from forming a government. Vote strategically for Hadash–Ta’al.” Senior Hadash–Ta’al campaign officials said that the party has recognized the potential of extra several thousand votes from Jewish citizens, and subsequently decided to refine their messaging to better reach this audience.

Ben-Gvir on Sunday said he will demand to be appointed public security minister if his party becomes part of the upcoming coalition. His policies as public security minister would include five elements, he said at a press conference: “changing the rules of engagement for policemen and soldiers; immunity for policemen and soldiers for any actions taken against terrorists; reducing the rights of terrorists in jails; treating agricultural crime as terrorism and increasing punishment for criminal demands for ‘protection’ from business owners; and allowing anyone with basic combat training to carry a weapon.”

Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=30660