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CNN Saturday Morning News
Israel's Arab Vote May Impact Tuesday Elections
Aired January 25, 2003 - 07:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: The Israelis go to the polls on Tuesday in an election that will determine the next prime minister in parliament.
As CNN's Jerrold Kessel explains, activists hope one minority voting bloc will use its clout.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Uncertainty the order of the day among Israel's Arabs, who account for one in every six Israeli voter. This election, more than ever they're seen -- they see themselves -- less as Israelis, more as Palestinians. Still, political activists in Nazareth, Israel's largest Arab town, seem very determined to gain adequate representation in the Knesset.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are not going there with illusion that we will be part of the government. We go there in order to address the issues of the Palestinians and Israel, and also to address the Israel public.
KESSEL: But first, they must convince voters of two things, better influence over indifference, better involvement over irrelevance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They have this capability to change and to influence if they all vote, because we are the 20 percent of the Israeli (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
KESSEL: One plus one equals one, touts a sales promotion. Some here call that an Ariel Sharon maxim, since the prime minister contests he's the only Israeli politician who really counts.
But Sharon has little support here. His Labour rival does, and historically Arab voters have voted mainly for left-wing parties. So to help him remain number one, Sharon must be hoping people here will do what they have rarely done, not vote.
(on camera): Jewish Israelis like to say jokingly of themselves, if there are two of them together in a room, you're likely to get not just two points of view, but also three political parties. And Arab Israelis are also delighted in the fact that they have a galaxy of parties from which to choose. (voice-over): They were nearly deprived of some choices. Only Israel's supreme court intervention lifted a political ban on two prominent Arab politicians. Nor, despite significant internal political differences, do they mind if their Jewish compatriots lump them all together as the Arab voters, because they feel they're fighting a common battle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To keep in our homeland, to stay here, to be legitimate, we are not struggling in order to separate, we are struggling exactly in order to be in.
KESSEL: Being in may not necessarily mean being able to influence an Israeli government's peace policies, their prime goal. But this is still a critical election for people here. They mean to show not only that they are here in their own land, but also, whether Israeli Jews like it or not, that their votes do count.
Jerrold Kessel, CNN, Nazareth.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 25, 2003 - 07:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: The Israelis go to the polls on Tuesday in an election that will determine the next prime minister in parliament.
As CNN's Jerrold Kessel explains, activists hope one minority voting bloc will use its clout.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Uncertainty the order of the day among Israel's Arabs, who account for one in every six Israeli voter. This election, more than ever they're seen -- they see themselves -- less as Israelis, more as Palestinians. Still, political activists in Nazareth, Israel's largest Arab town, seem very determined to gain adequate representation in the Knesset.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are not going there with illusion that we will be part of the government. We go there in order to address the issues of the Palestinians and Israel, and also to address the Israel public.
KESSEL: But first, they must convince voters of two things, better influence over indifference, better involvement over irrelevance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They have this capability to change and to influence if they all vote, because we are the 20 percent of the Israeli (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
KESSEL: One plus one equals one, touts a sales promotion. Some here call that an Ariel Sharon maxim, since the prime minister contests he's the only Israeli politician who really counts.
But Sharon has little support here. His Labour rival does, and historically Arab voters have voted mainly for left-wing parties. So to help him remain number one, Sharon must be hoping people here will do what they have rarely done, not vote.
(on camera): Jewish Israelis like to say jokingly of themselves, if there are two of them together in a room, you're likely to get not just two points of view, but also three political parties. And Arab Israelis are also delighted in the fact that they have a galaxy of parties from which to choose. (voice-over): They were nearly deprived of some choices. Only Israel's supreme court intervention lifted a political ban on two prominent Arab politicians. Nor, despite significant internal political differences, do they mind if their Jewish compatriots lump them all together as the Arab voters, because they feel they're fighting a common battle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To keep in our homeland, to stay here, to be legitimate, we are not struggling in order to separate, we are struggling exactly in order to be in.
KESSEL: Being in may not necessarily mean being able to influence an Israeli government's peace policies, their prime goal. But this is still a critical election for people here. They mean to show not only that they are here in their own land, but also, whether Israeli Jews like it or not, that their votes do count.
Jerrold Kessel, CNN, Nazareth.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
