Jakarta, ThedailyID — Israel is holding its first general election since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. The vote takes place amid deep political divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and international criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Palestinian territories.
The election also raises a key question: Can Palestinians vote in Israel?
The answer depends on their citizenship status. According to Al Jazeera’s report, around 7.3 million people in Israel are eligible to vote, including approximately 1.2 million Palestinian citizens of Israel, commonly known as Arab Israelis.
These citizens are descendants of Palestinians who remained within the territory that became Israel after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. That conflict accompanied Israel’s establishment and the displacement of more than 700,000 Palestinians from their homes. Many displaced Palestinians fled to the West Bank, Gaza and refugee camps in neighboring areas.
Palestinians who remained in Israel and obtained Israeli citizenship can participate in the country’s elections. Their citizenship grants them voting rights alongside other eligible Israeli citizens.
However, millions of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation do not have the same right to vote in Israel’s national elections. This includes Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Around three million Palestinian adults in these territories cannot vote in the Israeli election. Their residence in territories under Israeli occupation does not automatically grant them Israeli citizenship or voting rights.
The election also brings movement restrictions. According to Al Jazeera, the Israeli military announced the closure of all land crossings between Israel and the Palestinian West Bank during election day.
Israeli citizens living abroad also generally cannot vote remotely. Israel does not offer a universal absentee voting system, so most eligible voters must cast their ballots physically inside the country. Diplomats and official state representatives are exceptions. They cast their ballots at Israeli diplomatic missions on October 20.
The election carries significant implications for Israel’s domestic politics and its policies toward Palestinians. Netanyahu faces a deeply polarized electorate, while the government’s handling of the conflict continues to draw international criticism.
Many observers hope the outcome will bring changes that reduce violence affecting Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. However, Palestinians living in those occupied territories cannot directly choose Israel’s government through the national vote, despite the Israeli government’s significant influence over conditions in their daily lives.
