The Heat discusses growing Arab unity ahead of Israel parliamentary elections

The Heat

For the first time, Arab political groups are united as one party for Israel’s parliamentary elections and could influence the selection of the next prime minister of Israel.

The stakes are high in next week’s general election. Polls show a tight race between the two main parties: The right-wing Likud Party led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the center-left Zionist Union led by politician and lawyer Isaac Herzog.

A coalition of Arab parties known at the “Joint Arab List” could become the third-largest political group, giving 1.7 million Arabs a bigger voice in the political process. CCTV’s Stephanie Freid reported this story.

The Heat discussed the elections with these experts:

  • Avraham Burg in Jerusalem, an Israeli author, politician, and a former speaker of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament.
  • Jafar Farah in Haifa, the director of the Mossawa Center, an advocacy center for Arab citizens in Israel.
  • Nadia Ben-Youssef in Boston, a human rights lawyer and the international advocacy coordinator for Adalah – a legal center for Arab minority rights in Israel.

The Heat continued its discussion with experts on how Israel’s parliamentary election could hurt the chance for peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians.