Israel’s Bedouin Vote: The Negev Electorate That Could Influence the Next Election

On October 27, Israel’s future will be decided at the ballot box. Following three years of war, the election of the next prime minister will be crucial in determining the country’s next steps across the seven fronts on which Israel is engaged in an ongoing struggle. This year, the upcoming election is expected to draw significant attention to voter turnout, with a particular focus on Arab citizens of Israel, who account for approximately 17% of eligible voters. Among them, the Bedouin community of the Negev, which had approximately 150,000 eligible voters in 2022, represents a significant electoral constituency.

While many Bedouins remain undecided about whether they will participate in the election, their votes could prove consequential. A substantial increase in turnout would make it harder for political parties to treat the Negev as a predictable electoral stronghold. Instead, they would have to court a larger electorate with the potential to influence the composition of the next Knesset.

The electoral weight of the Arab vote has grown considerably over recent decades. In 1992, Bedouin voters accounted for approximately 8.6% of all voters in Arab and Druze localities, excluding mixed cities. By 2013, that share had risen to 12.7%, reaching 15.4% in 2022. Over three decades, the Negev Bedouin electorate’s relative weight within this broader voting population had therefore nearly doubled. Yet this potential remains largely untapped. In 2022, turnout among Negev Bedouins was estimated at just 51%, compared with 68% among Jewish voters and 54% among other Arab voters.

These figures do not mean that additional votes would automatically translate into parliamentary seats. Their impact would depend on how votes were distributed among parties, how many lists crossed the electoral threshold and the overall national balance of power. However, in an election where a handful of seats could determine whether a coalition is formed or falls short, greater participation could shift the political balance.

A Crucial Election for Bedouin Voters

For Fareed, a resident of Rahat who is looking forward to casting his ballot on October 27, this is “the most important election in Israel’s history.”

“For the first time, people are saying that failing to participate in elections within the Arab community could have serious consequences for security, particularly as crime increases, but also for the continued demolition of Bedouin homes. The Arab vote is extremely important, especially when it comes to investment in Arab society. We need to focus on improving our living conditions and ensuring that we are treated as full citizens,” he said.

Fareed hopes the next government will treat Bedouins as equal citizens and recognize that the Negev cannot prosper or develop properly without them. He also wants the government to recognize all Bedouin villages and grant Bedouin citizens the same rights as other Israelis. Too often, he argues, the community remains marginalized and struggles to achieve the dignity and opportunities it deserves.

“I would like the next prime minister to see the Negev as Israel’s future. Every day, Jews and Bedouins work together without any problems in hospitals, clinics, shopping centers, pharmacies and supermarkets. We should extend this model to the entire country and work toward genuine equality among citizens. That requires a leader who prioritizes the Bedouin community and allocates the necessary budgets to support its development,” Fareed said.

For the Arab vote to translate into meaningful electoral influence, however, voters must first be able and willing to cast their ballots. In some unrecognized villages, access to polling stations is itself an obstacle. Some residents must travel several kilometers to reach their designated polling station. Yet logistical barriers alone do not explain abstention. Behind the turnout figures lies a deeper political distrust.

Sanaa, a resident of Hura and a mother of seven, illustrates this growing disillusionment. In the previous election, she voted for Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party. This time, she has no intention of going to the polls.

“To be honest, I have lost faith,” she admits quietly.

Her disappointment is not limited to one party or candidate. It reflects broader frustration with electoral promises that, in her view, have failed to produce sufficient improvements in everyday life.

“Every election, we are asked to vote and promised that things will change. Then the election is over, and we see very little difference. My concerns are very concrete: my children’s education, their safety, their future, employment, roads and services in our village. I no longer want to vote simply because people tell me it is important. I want to see results on the ground and know that our reality is changing,” she told Itonnews.

For Sanaa, the problem also lies in what she sees as an intermittent relationship between political leaders and the Bedouin population.

“In Bedouin villages, we still face problems that should have been resolved a long time ago. When you are raising seven children, you immediately see the consequences of inadequate services, transportation difficulties, limited opportunities and poor infrastructure. Sometimes, I feel that we matter to politicians only when they need our votes,” she said.

Turning Electoral Potential into Political Influence

For political parties, the challenge is not simply to persuade Bedouin voters to participate. It is also to give them a reason to believe that their ballots will lead to tangible change. Housing, recognition of unrecognized villages, infrastructure, access to water and electricity, education, employment, transportation, public safety and civil protection are among the community’s main concerns.

Security has become particularly sensitive. Limited access to shelters and protective infrastructure in some Bedouin communities has highlighted how equal voting rights do not necessarily translate into equal living conditions. In unrecognized villages, these concerns compound longstanding problems associated with inadequate public services and infrastructure.

For women, expectations extend beyond community-wide issues. Access to higher education, vocational training, employment, entrepreneurship and participation in public decision-making are also likely to shape their relationship with the electoral process.

Sanaa explains what it would take for her to regain confidence in the political system.

“I would like politicians to come back after the election, hold themselves accountable and tell us what they have actually accomplished. Above all, I would like Bedouin women to be heard more. We are mothers, and we understand the problems facing our families and communities. If we are given a meaningful role in decision-making and I see tangible results, perhaps I will want to vote again,” she said.

The central question, therefore, is not simply how many Bedouins will vote, but what political parties will be willing to offer them in exchange for their support. In an election that could be decided by a handful of seats, the approximately 27,700 additional votes that would result from turnout rising to 70% would not guarantee any seats on their own. Nevertheless, they could make the Bedouin vote in the Negev too significant for political parties to continue ignoring.

Caroline Haïat