Israeli election turnout plummets to 20 percent among Palestinian citizens

Only 20 percent of Palestinian citizens of Israel have voted in the Israeli elections

2 min read

09 April, 2019

Israeli elections are currently taking place [AFP]

Only 20 percent of Palestinian citizens of Israel have so far taken part in Tuesday's Israeli elections amid calls for boycott.

Voting turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel started off slow, with a turnout of eight percent by 12pm local time, slugging behind the national average, which was around 24 percent, according to Arab48.

By 2pm estimates indicated that the percentage of voting in Palestinian-majority towns reached 15 percent in comparison to the national percentage of 36 percent percent.

Latest voting turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel was just 20 percent by 5pm, with only five hours left for pollsters to cast their vote.

This is opposed to the national average, which by 5pm reached 43.8 percent.

Low voter turnout of Palestinian citizens of Israel was expected to be low this year due to calls for a boycott following anti-Arab propaganda during the election campaign.

A recent survey from the Abraham Fund Initiatives, an Israeli non-profit dedicated to promoting equality, forecasted nearly half of Palestinians will not vote.

It estimated turnout will drop to 51 percent from 64 percent in 2015, "spelling disaster" for Palestinian political representation in Israel.

'Vote to combat Arab influence'

Israel has taken measures such as installing hidden security cameras in Palestinian polling stations and urging Jewish Israelis to use their vote "combat" Arab influence in the Knesset.

Public security minister Gilad Erdan said that the incentive for his party's right-wing supporters in voting during Tuesday's election should be to prevent Palestinian citizens of Israel from gaining seats in the Knesset.