Do the Arab parties accept Israel as a Jewish and democratic state? - opinion

Hillel Frisch argues that Israel's Arab parties, the Joint List and Ra'am, do not accept Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, and that the Jewish majority has the right to question their fitness for government. He contrasts individual Arab professionals' conduct with the collective political choices of the Arab electorate, noting that 85% voted for Arab-majority lists.

Hillel Frisch argues that Israel's Arab political parties, the Joint List and Ra'am, do not accept Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, and that the Jewish majority has every right to question their fitness for government. He contrasts the commendable treatment of Jewish clients by Arab professionals with the collective political choices of the Arab electorate, noting that at least 85% of Arab voters voted for Arab-majority lists. Frisch examines the parties' official platforms, which call for a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital and, in the Joint List's case, mention the right of return. He rejects comparisons to haredi parties, asserting that haredim identify with the state's Jewishness and are not involved in hostile behavior toward fellow citizens. The framing relies on a collective attribution of political intent to Arab voters and parties, without citing direct statements from party leaders rejecting the state's Jewish character.