Strategic Assessment

The Arab public’s disappointment with the Joint List and the dissolution of the List on the eve of the 21st Knesset elections in April 2019, as well as the campaign waged by opposition factions urging voters to boycott the elections, resulted in low voter turnout and a drop in Arab parliamentary representation, from 13 to 10 seats (Hadash-Ta’al with six seats and Ra’am-Balad with four). After the Knesset was dissolved, these parties decided to make an effort to revive the Joint List and gain the public’s trust in advance of the 22nd Knesset elections, scheduled for September 2019. Their aim is to increase the number of Knesset seats and function as the kingmaker. Members of the Joint List hope to gain influence in national decisions on economic and social issues important to the Arab public and demonstrate the willingness of this sector to integrate further into Israeli society, with the primary goal of shaping the future of the Arab minority in Israel.