Change, and what will make you understand change!: The Change Camp in Israel and the Test of Partnership with the Arab Lists
The article addresses the challenge facing the 'Change Camp' parties in Israel after the Arab lists won 19 seats in the elections. The author questions how ready this camp is to recognize Arab parties as a legitimate political partner, recalling the 2023 protests that raised slogans defending democracy and minority rights. He calls for distinguishing between ideological disagreement and exclusion based on national identity.
Professor Mustafa Kabha writes in Al-Ittihad newspaper about the challenge posed by the recent election results to the so-called 'Change Camp' in Israel. The Arab lists collectively winning 19 seats in the Knesset puts this camp before a test that goes beyond coalition calculations: is it ready to recognize Arab parties as a legitimate political partner without preconditions? The author recalls the 2023 protests against Justice Minister Yariv Levin's plan, in which protesters raised slogans defending democracy and minority rights. However, he notes that the Arab community did not fully participate in those protests, due to a historical feeling that the struggle for democracy in Israel does not adequately address the civil and national equality of Arab citizens. The article raises a central question: does the democracy defended by the Change Camp include the right of the Arab minority to participate in decision-making when it enjoys sufficient popular trust? The author calls for distinguishing between legitimate ideological disagreement and preemptive exclusion based on national identity, and emphasizes that political partnership requires clear understandings and an agreed-upon work program from both sides.