The Fourth Phase of Palestinian Arab Politics in Israel: The Centripetal Turn

ABSTRACT:The article argues that the politics of the Arab minority in Israel has entered a new phase since the mid-2010s: centripetalism. Whereas the preceding two decades or so (the third phase) were characterized by claims in the name of Palestinian nationalism and organizational fragmentation, the centripetal phase is characterized by (1) a decline in the political salience of minority nationalism and a shift in focus to social and civic issues; (2) an aspiration to move from the fringes of politics; and (3) greater organizational convergence, eclipsing intra-communal ideological divisions in the service of shared objectives. The advent of this phase is attributed to unintended consequences of changes in the electoral rules (specifically the 2015 rise in the election threshold) combined with pressure from the electorate, empowered by the raised electoral threshold.