Jerusalem24 – Palestinian members of the Knesset and popular leaders within the Green Line are calling for the boycott of the next Israeli elections, which are expected to be held on 25 October 2022.
The call follows the announcement last night by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that he was putting forward a bill to dissolve the Knesset, leading alternate prime minister Yair Lapid to take his place, marking the fifth time Israelis head to the polls in under four years.
Member of the Political Bureau of the Abnaa Al-Balad Movement, Louai Al-Khatib, said in an exclusive interview with Al-Jurmuq: “In the upcoming elections, we will not use soft paws, we will deal harshly, and we will boycott the elections… Dealing with this issue is no longer useful, this time we will betray everyone who will vote in the Knesset.”
Al-Khatib added, “After a year’s deception in this government, what did Mansour Abbas achieve? Two weeks ago, he stated that the level of crime had decreased, and within a week the response came and there were 12 people killed [in Israel]. What achievements did Mansour Abbas achieve?”
Member of the United Fahmawi Movement, Mohammad Taher Jabarin, said he expects a large number of Palestinian citizens of Israel to boycott the upcoming Knesset elections, explaining that the government’s supporters and the segment of the population that actually votes feel let down after the failure of the current coalition – the first in the history of the Knesset to include an Arab party.
“After the United Arab List experience, we think that there will be an increase in the number.”
45% of Palestinians within the Green Line boycotted the last Knesset elections, and 65% boycotted the March 2020 elections. Participation among Palestinian citizens of Israel in the 2020 elections was the lowest recorded since the first Knesset elections in 1949.
