Why Arab parties may not be the ‘kingmakers’ in this Israeli election

Israel’s Arab-led parties are projected to win a record number of seats in the Israeli parliament, exit polls indicate, making them increasingly hard to ignore by the leading blocs. “Probably the most important phenomenon of this election is the rise and the revival of the Arab vote,” Daniel Shek, a former Israeli ambassador, said. “The statement is clear: You cannot disregard such a large portion of the electorate in the calculations for Israeli politics.” The latest projections from Tuesday’s voting showed that the Arab parties – the Joint List and Ra’am – could hold a record combined 17 seats in the 120-member Knesset.