Jumblat Urges 'Druze of Occupied Palestine' to Seek 'Drastic Change' in Knesset Vote

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Thursday urged the Druze Arabs in Israel to run in the upcoming legislative polls in “unified” lists with the aim of achieving “drastic change.”

“Once again I address this appeal to the Druze Arabs in occupied Palestine, who are suffering along with their Palestinian brothers from occupation, tyranny and injustice due to the practices of Israel, which is seeking to totally eradicate the Arab identity,” said Jumblat in a statement.

Israel will hold parliamentary elections on March 17, the second time in two years, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved the Knesset in January as his coalition government teetered on the brink of collapse. Israel's once-squabbling Arab parties forged an unprecedented alliance in a bid to bolster their influence in parliament to defend the rights of their minority.

“This is the first time that Arab currents and blocs unite in a unified list to run in the elections of the Israeli Knesset and it is a precious opportunity to immunize the Arab community and unify its vision concerning the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” Jumblat added.

He warned that the conflict “has taken a dangerous turn, amid the continued international bias in favor of the occupation and the abstinence from practicing any pressure to halt the expansion of settlements, demographic alteration and displacement, not to mention killing, assassinations and murder.”

“The current situation obliges the Druze Arabs to consolidate their Arab identity and national Palestinian belonging, and the unified list is an important gateway towards obtaining their right to equality,” the Druze leader went on to say.

He also urged a massive turnout in order to “make a drastic change” in the situations of Druze Arabs.

The Arab parties hope their show of unity will encourage a higher turnout among the 1.3 million Arab-Israelis who make up 20 percent of the population.

The united slate, announced in January, includes representatives from across the political spectrum, from Communists to Islamists.

Arab Israelis are the descendents of about 160,000 Palestinians who stayed in Israel after its creation in 1948.

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