[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: The "fascist" "racist" Israel Beiteinu party got
one mandate in large part because the 12th candidate on their list is a
Druze.]

In total 11 Knesset members of the newly elected Knesset have been elected
by the Arab community in non-Zionist parties (10 Arabs and one Jew). Another
three MK's have been elected in Zionist parties (Kadima, Likud and Israel
Beiteinu).

The Mossawa Center:
The Advocacy Center for the Arab
Citizens of Israel
5 Saint Luke's Street, P.O. Box 4471,
Haifa 31043, Israel
www.mossawacenter.org
Phone: +972-4-8555901
Fax: +972-4-8552772
mosawa@rannet.com

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: JAFAR FARAH
Email: mosawa@rannet.com
Office: +972-4-855-5901
Mobile +972-54-6877212
Mossawa Center: Israel's new government will not be legitimate if included
Racist bloc in the coalition

February 11 2009 - The Mossawa Center announces that it will continue its'
campaign against fascism and racism after the elections results. In light of
Israel's shift to the right and the rise of Avigdor Lieberman's Israel
Beiteinu party, the Center calls on all main parties to prevent the entry of
racism into any coalition government.

The third largest party in the 2009 elections will incite more racism and
further civil violence between Israel majority and minority populations. The
Center warned that instead of a effort to end the regional conflict with the
Palestinian people the peace process will be further complicated, the
current indirect negotiations with Syria would be rewound and Israel could
be set on a dangerous collision with Iran.

Jafar Farah noted: "We see the increase in incitement, following the war on
Gaza, as a dangerous phenomenon that needs treatment, [and] we are working
to establish a coalition to tackle racism, which has already been joined by
dozens of Jewish and Arab civilians."

Internal analysis of voting patterns in elections conducted by the Mossawa
Center shows that the Arab vote turned to strengthen the three Arab parties
with a loss to the Zionist parties. The Arab parties gained a total of
304,794 votes in 2009, which is an increase of 51,850 votes from the 2006
election.

Hadash received 86,092 votes in the 2006 elections which has now been
increased by 23,714 to 109,806 votes. Hadash contested these elections
without joining any other party, demonstrating a genuine strengthening of
Hadash. Approximately 10,000 votes from the Jewish community, indicating a
strengthening of Hadash's Jewish support.

The party Ram-Taal received about 94,786 votes in previous elections and has
now increased its' support by 17,444 to 112,230 total votes in 2009.
Ram-Taal is composed of three parties; the Islamic Movement, the Arab
Democratic Party and the Arab nationalist party.

Balad received 72,066 votes in 2006 and now have increased its base by
10,692 to 82,758 total votes. Balad supported the election of former MK
Abbas Zakor, who left the Islamic movement and received the fourth place on
the list; therefore he is excluded from the Knesset. Haneen Zoubi of Balad
became the first Arab women MK from a non-Zionist party to be elected.

In total 11 Knesset members of the newly elected Knesset have been elected
by the Arab community in non-Zionist parties (10 Arabs and one Jew). Another
three MK's have been elected in Zionist parties (Kadima, Likud and Israel
Beiteinu).

Distribution of votes among the three leading parties in the Arab community
Party----2003 --2006 ---2009
Hadash 65,551 94,786 112,230
Taal ---93,819 86,092 109,806
Balad-- 71,299 72,066 82,758
###
The Mossawa Center, the Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel, is a
non-profit, nongovernmental organization that works to promote equality for
the Arab Palestinian citizens of Israel. Established in 1997, the Mossawa
Center strives to improve the social, economic and political status of the
Arab citizens of Israel, while preserving their national and cultural rights
as Palestinians.