RAMALLAH, Wednesday, September 18, 2019, (WAFA) - Aida Touma, a candidate of the Joint Arab List, said today that her coalition party won big in the Israeli elections held yesterday for the 22nd Israeli parliament, the Knesset, which served a severe blow to the Likud party chairman Benjamin Netanyahu and his policy of incitement against Arabs in Israel.
According to the almost final results issued by the Israeli Election Commission, the Likud and Blue-White parties each won 32 seats, while the Joint List got 12 seats, making it the third largest party in the 120 seat parliament.
Touma described to WAFA the achievement of the Joint List as “remarkable” after it was able to win the public support and confidence, noting that Netanyahu is "reeling" although the final results have not been issued yet and that there is still the possibility of the surprise element in which Netanyahu maintains a presence in the government in one way or another.
She said that the main factor in the rise in the percentage of the Arab vote compared to the April elections is that the Arab public wanted to see the Arab parties united in a joint list, in addition to the incitement by Netanyahu against the Arabs throughout his election campaign, which created anger and defiance among the Arab public and forced them to come out and vote in large numbers.
"We have succeeded in formulating a specific political objective in the current election campaign and put it before our electorates which said that it is possible to oust Netanyahu from power,” said Touma.
"This encouraged the public to come out and vote after years of not having faith in the possibility of reaching a clear political goal,” she added.
Touma said the Joint List "will not be in anyone‘s pocket" and it has not yet decided whom to recommend to form the new government, pointing out that the Joint List is going to meet today to discuss the new developments and outcomes.
She stressed that the Joint List will work to meet its election promises to the Arab public in terms of eliminating crime and struggle in various social issues.
"We will continue to put pressure on any government that will be formed to provide solutions to these issues and to address them. We are stronger now because we are united and our goals are clear," she said.
"We are the only clear voice against the occupation, which is struggling in an uncompromising manner in this matter. The occupation must end and the independent Palestinian state must be established,” said the Arab lawmaker in the Israeli parliament.
"The positive indicators achieved in the current elections confirm that when we act as Arab-Palestinian masses we can have an impact,” she said.
The Joint Arab List is comprised of four Arab parties: the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality, the United Arab List, the National Democratic Assembly, and the Arab Movement for Change.
The List‘s candidates are: Ayman Odeh, Imtanis Shehadeh, Ahmad Tibi, Mansour Abbas, Aida Touma, Walid Taha, Ofer Kasif, Heba Yazbeck, Osama al-Saadi, Yousef Jabareen, Saeed al-Khroumi, Jaber Asaqleh, Sami Abu Shehadeh, Sondos Saleh, Iman Yassin Khatib, and Yousef Attawneh.
M.K.
