Arab Parties

A man holds a sign that reads "Life" in both Hebrew and Arabic, during a protest against the war in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, April 24, 2025. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)

The false symmetry of Jewish-Arab partnership

Under conditions of apartheid, binationalism requires Israeli Jews to relinquish leadership and join the Palestinian-led struggle for decolonization.

By Areej Sabbagh-Khoury February 11, 2026

Israelis protest against the proposed changes to the legal system, at Habima Square, Tel Aviv, January 28, 2023. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Why aren’t Palestinian citizens joining the anti-government protests?

Despite calls from political leaders, much of the Arab community in Israel feels the movement is not reflective of their deeper problems with the state.

By Baker Zoubi February 1, 2023

Workers hang a large election campaign poster of Otzma Yehudit head Itamar Ben Gvir and take down a poster of Arab MK Ahmad Tibi, in Jerusalem on September 29, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

‘We survived Begin, Shamir, and Netanyahu. We’ll survive Ben Gvir too’

Despite Arab parties focusing their election campaigns on the threat of the far right, it is the Jewish center left who seem to be more afraid.

By Baker Zoubi November 28, 2022

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MK Ayman Odeh, head of the Joint List, and MK Ahmad Tibi attend a faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, March 7, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Bennett’s coalition crisis puts Palestinian parties in a dilemma

Facing disgruntled voters and the threat of Netanyahu's return, the Joint List appears conflicted about whether to provide a lifeline to the government.

By Wadea Awawdy April 11, 2022

Outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz seen with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a ceremony held in honour of incoming IDF chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot (not seen) at a ceremony held in Eizenkot's honour at the PM's office in Jerusalem, on February 16, 2015. Photo by Miriam Alster/FLASH90 *** Local Caption *** ??? ?????? ?????? ??????

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In Israel, ‘politics as usual’ means escalating Palestinian oppression

Three trends from Israel’s do-over election demonstrate that the more Israeli politics stay the same, the more dangerous its policies become. There are many moments in Israeli-Palestinian history where landmark developments seem to change nothing and everything at the same time. Israel’s September election is one of them. While featuring many familiar and predictable patterns, the latest…

By Amjad Iraqi October 4, 2019

The Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade, June 26, 2008. (Photo by Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

The cynical use of homophobia to attack the Joint List

The Pride Parade has become a litmus test of enlightenment for politicians. But clinging to that symbol is dangerous in that it disconnects the parade from its actual context — the LGBTQ community’s struggle for equal rights. By Inna Michaeli In a video question-and-answer segment produced by Haaretz this week, Arab actress and singer Mira…

By +972 Magazine March 12, 2015

Hadash chairman Ayman Odeh at a press conference, February 11, 2015. (Photo by Activestills.org)

Only Israel’s public TV gives equal coverage to Arab Joint List

Despite polling better in than mid-sized Jewish parties, the Israeli media is simply paying less attention to the Arab Joint List. By Oren Persico Israel’s public television, Channel 1, is devoting more time to reporting on the Joint Arab List running for Israel’s Knesset than the country’s other commercial television news channels, a survey of…

By The Seventh Eye February 21, 2015

Joint List head Ayman Odeh speaks at the List's Arabic launch event, Nazareth. (Photo courtesy of the Joint List)

A glimmer of hope against incitement and racism

Jamal Zahalka promises that the Joint List will remain together for a long time, Dov Khenin tugs at our heart strings, the head of the Islamic Movement speaks of the men and women who make history, and Ayman Odeh, who heads the slate, calls on Arabs members of the Zionist parties to come back home.…

By Samah Salaime February 19, 2015

MK Haneen Zoabi addresses the Central Elections Committee during a hearing over her disqualification from Knesset elections, February 12, 2015. (Screenshot)

It’s time to disqualify Israel’s Central Elections Committee

In the run-up to every general election since 2003, Arab parties and candidates have been forced to appear in front of this committee to prove that they deserve to participate in Knesset elections. The only thing worse than the process itself is the racist atmosphere in the meetings. By Salah Mohsen The Central Elections Committee…

By +972 Magazine February 16, 2015

‘Israel Hayom,’ where democracy is for Jews alone

The pro-Netanyahu newspaper launched a new online questionnaire to help readers decide which party represents them. Jewish readers, that is. By Oren Persico / ‘The 7th Eye’ Israel Hayom, the most widely-distributed newspaper in the country, continues to exclude Arab citizens from its coverage of the upcoming elections. A new web-based initiative that gives the…

By The Seventh Eye February 14, 2015

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands on a tractor during a campaign event in the city of Ra'anana in central Israel, February 11, 2015. (Photo by Activestills.org)

The road to a fourth Netanyahu gov’t runs through Haneen Zoabi

The ‘Zionist Camp’ needs the Arab parties in order to form a government. Its decision to vote for disqualifying Zoabi makes that support less and less likely. The Central Elections Commission on Thursday disqualified MK Haneen Zoabi and candidate Baruch Marzel from running in Israel’s upcoming elections. The decision is not final without the approval…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man February 12, 2015

Hadash Chairman Ayman Odeh. Odeh was elected to first place in the united Arab slate. (photo: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

Israeli election coverage: ‘Our Ahmad is named Ayman’

In its coverage of the elections, the Israeli media generally portrays political parties with pictures of their chairpersons — that is, except for the joint Arab list. By Elad Harlev / ‘The 7th Eye‘ Earlier this week, Oren Persico called out the Israeli media for its representations, or lack thereof, of non-Jewish Israelis. The story,…

By The Seventh Eye February 5, 2015

MK Jamal Zahalka (Balad) marches along with thousands of people march through Jerusalem in support and solidarity with the Max Rayne “Hand in Hand” bilingual school, which was the target of a racist arson attack a week earlier, Jerusalem, December 5, 2014. (Photo by Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

‘A Palestinian state isn’t the solution, but it’s a step in the right direction’: Meet MK Jamal Zahalka

Chairman of the Balad party says that unification of Israel’s Arab parties is nothing short of historic — both in Israel and the Arab world: ‘There has never been unity between the communists, nationalists and Islamists.’ In an interview, Zahalka talks about his party’s appeal to Jewish voters, why the Joint List won’t join an…

By Orly Noy February 5, 2015