For weeks, as Israel’s election campaign has intensified, the discussion among many has been about the “blocs” that are being formed among political parties: specifically the Netanyahu and the anti-Netanyahu blocs. In examining the “blocs,” the focus is on numbers, on the conscription of the ultra-Orthodox Jews, and ultimately whether this is a referendum on Benjamin Netanyahu himself. And while there’s much genocidal talk, ignored is what this election means for 50% of the population that lives from the River to the Sea: Palestinians.
As a Palestinian citizen of Israel (who make up 16% of the eligible voters), the election takes on a different meaning. For us, it is almost existential.