The Intersectional Representation of Arab Palestinian Legislators: A Comparative Analysis, 1949–2019

Chapter 9 provides a comparative statistical analysis of the characteristics of Arab Palestinian legislators and their intersectional representation over time. The context of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state plays a significant role in the way Arab Palestinian legislators behaved during the 70 years. In the early days of the newborn state when military rule was imposed on the Arab minority, Arab Palestinian legislators fought against it. When military rule was abolished and a year later Israel acquired control over the West Bank and Gaza Strip because of the Six-Day War, Arab Palestinian legislators increased the amount of policy attention they paid to the Palestinian identity. During the wars and the military operations Israel had with Arab countries, Arab Palestinian legislators talked more about Arabs outside Israel. Finally, when Israel passed the Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People, Arab Palestinian legislators fought hard against it and talked more about being Arabs within Israel.