Israeli Elite Underestimates Peace Process Importance in Election Campaigns

The Palestinian Ambassador to Russia told Sputnik that the Israeli political establishment underestimates the importance of the Middle East peace process in their campaigns for the upcoming parliamentary election.

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Svetlana Alexandrova — Israel will hold the 20th elections to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on March 17.

"Almost all parties, participating in the Israeli elections, in their campaign programs concentrate on the internal social economic problems neglecting the importance of finding solutions for peace with Palestine," Fayed Mustafa told Sputnik.

He underlined that Palestinians will not intervene in the election process and expressed hope that Israeli citizens will elect a government that will pursue a policy toward long-lasting peace with Palestine.

According to Mustafa, one of the few Israeli parties, naturally interested in implementing peace initiatives is the United Arab List that includes smaller Arab parties and one joint Arab-Jewish faction.

The Arab List could win as many as 15 seats in the Knesset, the ambassador stated adding that "the Arab parties are very important for protecting the rights of the Palestinian minority."

Moreover, Arab voices in the Knesset "will encourage other members of the parliament to take serious steps towards finding peaceful solutions for this conflict," the ambassador added.

He reminded that within the last few years Israel has initiated and adopted several laws that could potentially alienate the non-Jewish population of Israel.

In November, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promoted a bill which would anchor in law the status of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. However, President Reuven Rivlin pointed out that the law runs counter to its founding fathers' vision of equality for Arab citizens.

Arabs account for approximately 20 percent of the Israeli population.

An early general election for the Israeli parliament was scheduled for March 17, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to overcome a dispute within his ruling coalition and dismissed his finance and justice ministers in December 2014.

According to a recent poll conducted by Reshet Bet Radio released on Friday, Netanyahu"s right-wing Likud and the left-wing party Zionist Union led by Isaac Herzog are head-to-head.