A new Arab party has registered ahead of the April 9 election, saying it seeks to bridge the be a moderate alternative to the radical Joint Arab List.
According to reports in Israeli media, New Horizon has registered with the Justice Ministry in mid-December as a "centrist Arab party," whose mission is to bridge the ideological gaps between moderates in both sectors, as well as "improve the status of Israel's Arab citizens" and "promote a national master plan as a basis to solve the housing shortage in the Arab sector."
The party's founder, Nazareth resident Salman Abu Ahmad, 62, said that New Horizon's Knesset list will include Arab Israelis from around the country.
According to The Times of Israel, the party's registration documents further state it aims include "upgrading the education system; putting together an uncompromising plan to uproot crime and violence in Arab society; forming a plan to promote the status of women in Arab society and serving as a bridge to a historical reconciliation between the two [Israeli and Palestinian] peoples and peace with Arab states."
Arab citizens comprise some 20% of Israel's population.
While the party seeks to have a wider appeal than the Joint Arab List – an alliance of the Balad, Ra'am-Ta'al, and Hadash parties – Abu Ahmad did not rule out joining it if New Horizon is elected to the Knesset.
The Joint Arab List won 13 seats in the 2015 election. Current polls predict that the faction will win around 12 seats.
Asked to elaborate on New Horizon's policy priorities, Abu Salman declined to comment and said his party would discuss them at a press conference within the next two weeks.
