The success of the Arab parties in the coming elections depends on their capacity to unite: should there be an excessive number of parties, a higher threshold of entry will weaken the Arab representation in the next Knesset. An additional critical factor is the willingness of Israeli Arabs to participate in the elections. Important groups in the Arab sector, including the Islamic Movement, are calling upon voters to ideologically boycott the elections.
A "vying candidate" in the form of Amir Peretz, Chairman of the Labor Party, has risen opposite the Arab parties. It may be assumed that many Israeli Arabs will vote for him, as he is a social leader, who has no illusions of military grandeur, and whose platform deals with the real problems that concern the Arab sector – poverty and unemployment.
