The salad of Arab sector data: politicians inflate, statistics show otherwise

Mordechai Ish Shalom analyzes demographic data of the Arab sector in Israel and argues that politicians inflate the numbers. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, 21.7% of the population are Arabs, but excluding Druze, SLA refugees, and East Jerusalem Arabs without voting rights, the true electoral weight stands at only 15.52%. The author warns of future political consequences in Jerusalem.

Mordechai Ish Shalom analyzes in an opinion article on Walla! the demographic data of the Arab sector in Israel, arguing that politicians from both right and left inflate the numbers for their political needs. According to CBS data for September 2026, Israel has 10.305 million residents, of whom 2.173 million are Arabs (21.7%). However, the author notes that this definition includes Druze (154,400), SLA refugees (about 7,000), and Circassians (about 5,000), whose political affiliation differs from that of the majority of the Arab population. Additionally, about 400,000 East Jerusalem Arabs are residents rather than citizens, and therefore cannot vote in national elections. Thus, the author calculates that only about 1.6 million Arab citizens with voting rights live in Israel, constituting 15.52% of the population. The article notes that the achievement of the Arab sector in the last elections—19 seats (15.83%)—is higher than its true statistical weight. The author warns that East Jerusalem Arabs may vote in the upcoming municipal elections, which could lead to the election of an Arab-Muslim mayor in Jerusalem.