Israel, a Jewish and democratic state, maintains Arab citizens’ representation

In the run-up to Israel’s Oct. 27 election, the country’s Supreme Court unanimously ruled last week that a key minority – the two main parties representing Arab Israelis – could not be banned from participating. The decision serves as a marker of democracy in a political system that protects the rights of minorities in instances when one side has an overwhelming majority.The ban, recently approved by an election commission dominated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, would have effectively disenfranchised the one-fifth of Israeli citizens who are of Arab Palestinian heritage.In the wake of the October 2023 terrorist attack by Hamas, many right-wing Jewish Israelis have pushed for not only punitive military action in Gaza and forcible expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, but also curtailment of the rights of Israeli Arabs. The high court has acted as a “constitutional backstop” against political actors trying to exclude opponents, wrote analyst Marc Overbeck in The Times of Israel. Meanwhile, Israel’s attorney general, whom the government had sought to fire last year, advised against the ban. She previously resisted similar efforts to restrict the Supreme Court’s powers and crack down on the news media.Last week, the court also dismissed a proposed ban on a Jewish member of the Knesset (parliament) for statements criticizing Israel. But it warned an Arab member of the Knesset, Sami Abu Shehadeh, that it would likely uphold his ban for an article in which he described the Hamas attack as “an important historic event militarily, politically and strategically.” On Friday, Mr. Abu Shehadeh – who has since regretted his statement – opted to withdraw from the race. “This is no small sacrifice,” observed two academics in a weekend blog post. An outright ban might have sparked greater Arab voter turnout. But Mr. Abu Shehadeh indicated he did not want to create a precedent for the court to ban other Arab Israelis in the future. Neither Mr. Netanyahu nor his main opponent, a former general, is expected to win an outright majority in the election. This means the Arab parties, which might win 10 or so seats, could play a pivotal role in an eventual coalition.Yet the implications of the court ruling extend beyond cobbling together what are sometimes short-lived ruling alliances to the more enduring democratic tenets of equal rights and full civic participation.“For the Jewish people, being a majority poses a moral test,” according to former Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor. And that test is: “How do we treat minorities in our Jewish nation state? ... There must be civil rights for minorities,” he said in public remarks a few years ago.Those rights include a political inclusivity that sustains democracies. Deepen your worldviewwith Monitor Highlights.Politics with respectGet political stories with respectful analysis.There‘s a world of new ideas in everyBooks newsletter.There‘s more to life, enrich yours withCulture & Learning weekly.Follow humanity‘s discoveries withScience & Nature stories in your inbox.Gain a spiritual perspectivefrom the stories in your inbox.Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. “The future of a Jewish and democratic Israel depends on all its citizens – whether Jewish or not – having a genuine voice in the affairs of the state,” according to Mr. Overbeck, the analyst.While he is a self-declared Zionist who believes in the right of Jews to a homeland, Mr. Overbeck asserts: “The legitimacy of a Jewish democracy is strengthened – not weakened – when Arab citizens can participate fully in determining the country’s future.” ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LoginReal news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.The Christian Science Monitor was founded in 1908 to lift the standard of journalism and uplift humanity. We aim to “speak the truth in love.” Our goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you the essential knowledge and understanding to come to your own intelligent conclusions. Join us in this mission by subscribing.