According to recent surveys, Arab turnout is expected to decline to little over 50% on Tuesday, similar to the average turnout preceding the establishment of the Joint List.
By EYTAN HALONAhmad Tibi(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
While many parties fought to win the votes of the undecided on the day before the elections, the Ra’am-Balad and Hadash-Ta’al lists dedicated much of their last-minute campaigning to boosting turnout among the Arab-Israeli population.According to recent surveys, Arab turnout is expected to decline to little over 50% on Tuesday, similar to the average turnout preceding the establishment of the Joint List.Hadash-Ta’al sponsored 10 buses to transport hundreds of students with Israeli citizenship studying at the Arab American University in Jenin to their hometowns so that they can cast their votes and boost turnout.After campaign posters belonging to Ra’am-Balad and Hadash-Ta’al were vandalized near Nazareth on Sunday night, including the spray painting of “Death to Arabs” on them, both party lists blamed anti-Arab incitement.“They called us terrorists, supporters of terror, shot at us in videos and tried to consume the votes of our supporters through lies and delegitimization around the clock. We do not give in to incitement, and so the choice is clear: full civil equality or violent racism,” said Ra’am-Balad in a statement.“We must put an end to the government of hatred and discrimination, our votes can decide whether Netanyahu will form the next government, our votes will go to a real and moral alternative of equality, and that is why we will flock in our droves to vote,” a Hadash-Ta’al statement said.