What's behind the rise of the Palestinian vote in Israel's 2026 election?

On Tuesday, massive numbers of Palestinian citizens of Israel are expected to vote in the Israeli election. According to the last two opinion polls, voter turnout among Palestinians - who at 2.1 million make up about 20 percent of Israel's population - is expected to range between 64 and 68 percent. The turnout, says analyst Ameer Fakhoury, could even exceed the record numbers seen in 2020, when the Joint List alliance of parties representing Palestinian citizens won 15 seats in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. The last time Israelis went to the polls, in 2022, just 54 percent of Palestinians in Israel voted.