The Arab public gave me hope on election night, the 'Change Bloc' took it away the next day

Opinion: In Jaffa, massive Arab voter turnout was recorded; the Arab parties won 19 seats and became the key to replacing the government. Their leaders expressed willingness to cooperate, but the leaders of the Change Bloc spoke of a 'Zionist government' and excluded them from the equation.

An opinion column by Sivan Tahal describing her feelings on election day and the morning after. She recounts the impressive Arab presence at polling stations in Jaffa, young Arabs at a café explaining their motivations for voting, and the cynical yet present hope she felt in their company. In the vote count, the Arab parties received 19 seats, the Netanyahu bloc 53, and the Change Bloc 48. The leaders of the Arab parties – Jabarin, Tibi, and Abbas – expressed willingness to enable a change of government under certain conditions, but the leaders of the Change Bloc spoke of a 'Zionist government' and a 'Zionist majority,' excluding the Arab parties from the equation. The author argues that this reflects a 'regime of admission conditions' where Jewishness grants legitimacy and Arabness requires constant justification.