Former MK Hanna Swaid says anger toward Netanyahu driving high Arab turnout

Hanna Swaid, an Arab Israeli Christian from the Galilee and former Knesset member, says four years of simmering anger toward Netanyahu is pushing turnout to record levels among both Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel.

Arab citizens make up slightly more than one-fifth of Israel’s population, but their parties have never won proportional representation in the Knesset. Even if they don’t win one-fifth of seats, picking up several could be decisive in a tight race.

Questions about Arab voter turnout have long been both an important factor in election results and a political weapon to scare and mobilize right-wing voters, Swaid says.

“Palestinian citizens want to change things and kick out the extremist ministers,” he says, referring to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. “The only way to do that in a democratic state — as far as you can still call Israel that — is elections.”

His assessment of the situation comes as right-wing politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have tried to galvanize their voter bases by warning of high turnout in primarily Arab localities.