The ballot box does not topple the system... but slowing encroachment is necessary for resilience and a moral duty
Writer Huwaida Nimr Za'atra addresses the dilemma of Palestinian citizens of Israel participating in Knesset elections, presenting three scenarios for the electoral weight of Arab parties: parliamentary deadlock, supporting a minority government, or exploiting a parliamentary window to pass laws. She argues that participation may slow the far-right's momentum even if it does not change the system's essence.
Writer Huwaida Nimr Za'atra, in an opinion piece for Al-Ittihad newspaper, addresses the dilemma of Palestinian citizens of Israel participating in Knesset elections. The article presents three possible scenarios for the electoral weight of Arab parties: first, parliamentary deadlock leading to a second election round if the Zionist opposition (Eisenkot and Lieberman) refuses to rely on Arab votes. Second, supporting a minority government from the outside to oust the far-right without ministerial participation. Third, exploiting the brief period between the parliament's swearing-in and its dissolution to control the Knesset presidency and committees and pass exceptional laws such as the "Defendant Law" and forming a commission of inquiry into the events of October 7. The writer believes that changing the head of the pyramid will not change the system's essence, but it may slow the momentum of the "fascist machine" and give the world time to change its view of the Palestinian cause, considering participation a moral and practical duty for resilience.