Ma'an News agency.net (Palestine) / AFP :"Palestinians in Israel vote en masse to end Netanyahu era"
Palestinians in Israel vote en
masse to end Netanyahu era
Published yesterday (updated) 18/03/2015 00:44
Palestinian citizens of Israel queue up to cast their ballots at a polling
station in the coastal city of Haifa, on March 17, 2015.
(AFP/Ahmad Gharabli)
HAIFA (AFP) -- Palestinian Israelis formed long lines outside polling stations Tuesday as they turned out to cast their ballots hoping to end the six-year reign of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"This is the first time that I've seen so many people here to vote," said Ehab Hamam, 37, as he waited with some 50 people at a polling station in Haifa.
"For the Arabs, voting in this election is saying to the right: We are here," he told AFP.
Jewish Israeli voter Gideon Leber agreed, saying: "I've never seen such a long queue outside a polling station."
In occupied East Jerusalem, both voters and workers at the Beit Safafa voting center told Ma'an what they believed to be a tantamount increase of votership in Beit Safafa. During the last election in 2013, only 137 individuals voted in Beit Safafa, around 1-2% eligible voters for the area, while 400 had already voted by 4 pm.
Palestinian citizens of Israel, who account for just over 20 percent of the population, are treated as second class citizens of Israel and have not historically been represented in the Knesset.
But this year, after the main Arab parties joined forces in a list tipped win as many as 13 mandates in the 120-seat parliament, voters have been infused with a new sense of hope.
The alliance formed by four Arab parties -- United Arab List, Ta'al, Balad and Hadash -- was the first time parties representing Palestinian citizens in Israel have joined forces.
The head of the Joint List that includes nationalists, Islamists and the Jewish-Arab Communist party described it "a historic day for the Arabs."
"Today we are giving our answer to racism and to those who want to exclude us," said Ayman Odeh.
"When we have 15 MPs we will be able to influence the decision-making, no-one will be able to act without the third largest party in parliament."
A Palestinian citizen of Israel casts vote in Beit Safafa for Knesset elections
on Mar. 17, 2015. (MaanImages)
Palestinian political leader in Israel and head of a joint list of Arab parties,
Ayman Odeh is greeted by a supporter as he carries his son after casting his
ballot at a polling station in the coastal city of Haifa, on March 17, 2015.
(AFP/Ahmad Gharabli)
