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Electoral Gains Revive Old Dilemma for Israeli Arabs

Associated Press

   NAZARETH, ISRAEL - When election results confirmed that an Arab
   alliance had emerged as the third largest bloc in Israel's parliament,
   its leader Ayman Odeh reached for the Old Testament, tweeting in Hebrew
   from Psalm 118 that the stone which was rejected had become the
   cornerstone.

   His message: The Arab community, long shunted to the margins of Israeli
   society, is going to use its newfound influence to set the country on a
   more equitable path.

   The results left the two biggest parties deadlocked, but marked a
   victory for the Arab bloc and put Odeh in a strong position to become
   the first Arab opposition leader, an official role that would allow him
   to receive high-level security briefings and meet visiting heads of
   state. Outraged at what they see as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's
   racist policies and incitement, most of the bloc recommended his
   opponent, former army chief Benny Gantz, as prime minister, the first
   time Arab parties have backed an Israeli candidate since 1992.

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