Arab Israeli citizens in the 2009 elections: between Israeli citizenship and Palestinian Arab identity

The 18(th) Knesset currently seats 13 Arab and Druze MKs. This is one MK fewer compared to the corresponding figure in the 17(th) Knesset and the number of MKs representingpredominantly Arab parties hardly changed ( increasing from 10 to 11). These minor changes are surprising considering the formative nature of the events in the Jewish-Arab arena during the three years since the last elections. The article suggests that the same events which intensified the Arab desire to separate from the Jewish majority - The Israeli operation in Gaza during December 2008-January 2009 ("Cast Lead") and the "Israel Beytenu" party's campaign which has placed the issue of Israeli Arabs' loyalty to their state at the top of its agenda - were the ones who motivated the Arabs to participate eventually in the elections to allay outcomes they perceived as deleterious to their interests.