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Israel’s Political Divide: Arab-Israelis in a Jewish-Democratic State

September 10, 2024
Arab-Israelis rally with Palestinian flags following ethnic conflict in Israel in 2022. Source: JACK GUEZ / AFP

Since the 7 October attacks and the ensuing war on Gaza, the region has become more volatile than it has been in decades. The war is the latest escalation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which has raged on for almost 70 years. One smaller piece in this wider multifaceted conflict is the Arab-Israelis, also known regionally as the ‘48 Arabs, and the role that they play in shaping Israeli politics. The Arab-Israeli population is largely composed of Palestinians who remained in Israel following the nakba, Arabic for catastrophe, which saw the expulsion of 700,000 Palestinians from modern-day Israel following the Arab-Israeli 1948 war.  Only 150,000 Palestinians remained in Israel and later received Israeli citizenship. Following the Arab forces’ defeat, Arab-Israelis were placed under martial law as they were perceived as a potential threat, unlike the Jewish citizens of Israel. This ended in 1966-1968, as many felt that interior security was achieved and subjugating Arab-Israelis was damaging Israel’s reputation in the West. Israel’s Ethnic Makeup Today, Arab-Israelis now number over two million, and they include Muslims, Christians, and Druze (who are the followers of the Druze faith, which originates from Islam but…


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