The partnership that could shape Israel's future

After more than three decades working to strengthen relations between Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel, I have learned to be cautious about predictions. Israeli politics has a remarkable ability to surprise even its closest observers.

Yet every so often an election becomes about something much larger than the identity of the next prime minister. It becomes a choice about the country’s direction. This coming election may be one of those rare moments.

Much of the public debate understandably revolves around coalitions, personalities and political arithmetic. But the deeper question facing Israelis is what kind of country we want to become over the coming decade.

Will Israel continue down a path of growing polarisation, weakened democratic institutions, deepening divisions between Jews and Arabs, and perpetual conflict? Or can it renew its commitment to liberal democracy, equal citizenship, economic prosperity and regional security built not only on military strength but also on political agreements and partnerships?

Surprisingly, one of the keys to answering that question lies with a demographic that has too often been treated as a political afterthought: Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Conventional wisdom would assume that most Arab citizens have become disillusioned with Israeli politics. Given recent years, that assumption would seem reasonable.

One might therefore expect widespread political withdrawal. The evidence points in precisely the opposite direction.

Palestinian citizens of Israel have faced extraordinary pressures in recent years. An unprecedented wave of organised crime has claimed nearly 1,000 lives since the current government took office. Government programmes – that were hard fought for by organisations like The Abraham Initiatives – designed to tackle historic inequalities have been scaled back, while discriminatory rhetoric from some senior public figures has deepened feelings of exclusion. The war in Gaza has added another layer of trauma. For many Palestinian citizens of Israel, the suffering across the border is not a distant political issue but one that resonates deeply through family ties, shared identity and personal loss.

A nationwide survey conducted only in the last few weeks by The Abraham Initiatives found that a clear majority of Palestinian citizens of Israel intend to vote in the coming election. More than seven in ten believe they can influence Israel’s future through democratic participation, while an even larger majority believes that genuine Jewish-Arab political partnership offers the best path toward a better future for their country.

These are not the attitudes of a segment of society that is giving up on Israel’s democracy, but of citizens determined to shape it.

The survey also challenges another widespread misconception. Contrary to common assumptions, Palestinian citizens are not motivated solely—or even primarily—by national identity issues when deciding whether to vote. Personal security, the fight against organised crime, equal opportunities, public investment and combating racism rank among their highest priorities.

This does not diminish the importance of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rather, it reminds us that Palestinian citizens of Israel, like Jewish Israelis, live simultaneously in several realities. Whilst they care deeply about the fate of the Palestinian people, they also seek safe streets, high quality education, economic opportunity and effective governance for their own communities. In other words, they are not asking Israel to choose between its security and its democracy. They are calling for a future in which both reinforce one another, recognising that equality, partnership and democratic resilience are essential foundations of Israel’s long-term security.

That brings us to the responsibility of Israel’s Jewish political leadership. Major General (res.) Yair Golan, Chair of the Democrats party, has already stated that he is prepared to build a government based on full political partnership with Arab parties. Whether one agrees with him or not, he deserves credit for confronting an issue that others still prefer to avoid.

The more important question now is whether other leaders who aspire to become Israel’s next prime minister – among them Naftali Bennett, Gadi Eisenkot and others – will demonstrate similar political courage. Will they seek only the votes of Palestinian citizens of Israel, or also recognise them as legitimate partners in governing the country?

For decades, even when Arab parties proved indispensable to forming governments, they were rarely treated as equal political partners. Their parliamentary support was welcomed when convenient, while their participation in decision-making remained politically taboo.

That approach has become increasingly disconnected from Israel’s reality. No liberal democracy can fully realise its promise while effectively excluding one-fifth of its citizens from meaningful participation in shaping national policy. Nor can Israel fully unlock its economic, social and human potential if millions of citizens continue to feel that they are expected to contribute to the country without being fully accepted as partners in its future.

The next election therefore presents an opportunity that extends far beyond replacing one coalition with another. It offers an opportunity to redefine the relationship between Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel—not by ignoring their disagreements, which remain real and significant, but by recognising that despite those disagreements they share a profound interest in building a country that is democratic, secure, prosperous and confident enough to pursue peace whenever opportunities arise.

The real test of this election is therefore not whether Palestinian citizens of Israel will come to the polling stations. All indications suggest that many are determined to do exactly that. The real question is whether Israel’s Jewish majority – and especially those who seek to lead it – are finally ready to embrace the partnership they are being offered.

Amnon Beeri-Sulitzeanu is co-CEO at the Abraham Initiatives, an Israel based NGO which works to promote a Shared Society and Equality between Israel’s Palestinian and Jewish citizens.