The Joint Arab List: The Ultimate Goal is to Get Out Netanyahu

• 03.17.2015, 11:10
•  Near East,  World

The Joint (Arab) List, which, according to the latest polls is on the third place among the parties running for the Israeli parliamentary elections, is a political alliance of four Arab-dominated parties in Israel.  As kololeh.com reports, on Januaruy 22, 2015, four Arab parties Raam (United Arab List); Taal (Arab Movement for RenewalBalad (National Democratic Assembly) and Hadash (Democratic Front for Peace and Equality – Jewish/Arab party) formed an alliance to run under a joint list. The reason for such a move was the adoption of a law in 2014 by the Knesset that raised the threshold of the parliamentary elections from 2% to 3.25%. The Joint List is headed by the leader of Hadash - Ayman Odeh.

As it is said in the election platform of the Joint List posted in maki.org.il, the alliance was formed "with the aim of reinforcing and uniting the ranks against racism, and increasing the political weight and influence of the Arab public and all forces fighting against the occupation and racism." In case of being elected the Joint List claims to fight for the individual rights of the Arab-Palestinian public and to demand recognition of the Arab public as a national minority with the right to self-administration in the fields of culture, education, and religion. The platform also states that the Joint List will reach to the recognition of the unrecognized villages to provide lands for homes.

As for the problem of refugees and the displaced people the Joint List promises to battle for the recognition of their rights to return in accordance with to UN General Assembly Resolution 194.

Of course, the Joint List platform has points that show the vision of the party for solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Joint List is for the two-state solution. The party calls for the creation of the Palestinian state, as the Jerusalem Post reports, in the pre-1967 lines with East Jerusalem as the capital of the state. However the platform does not touch upon the mutually agreed land swaps. "The Joint List will fight for the dismantling of all Israeli settlements and the racist separation fence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; the release of all political prisoners; the establishment of a sovereign, independent Palestinian state within the June 4, 1967 borders," – the platform states, maki.org.il reports.

On an occasion during his campaign the leader of Joint List - Ayman Odeh declared that their ultimate goal is to get out Netanyahu, the Guardian reports. He accused Netanyahu for undermining democracy and instigating against Arabs. "If the gap between the Likud and Labour continues to grow, a week from now Herzog and Livni will become the prime ministers of Israel in rotation, with the backing of the Arab parties,” - The Guardian quotes Odeh's words.