Balad MK Heba Yazbak's political future is at stake and with it, potentially her party's. Yazbak, whose vocal support of terrorism has made her the subject of a disqualification petition to the Central Elections Committee, is already gearing to fight what pundits have said would be a sure ruling against her. Many in her party are calling on its heads to exit the Joint Arab List, a faction it formed with the Ra'am-Ta'al and Hadash parties, and to drop out of the March 2 election race altogether in protest of Yazbak's "persecution."
There are other voices in Balad that are also calling for the party to drop out of the election campaign, but for different reasons.
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Senior Balad member Murad Hadad, for example, argues that Balad's mere participation in the Israeli parliament serves the interests of the Right far more than it the interests of the Arab sector.
Although all Joint Arab List lawmakers have publicly expressed solidarity with Yazbak, most will not shed a tear if the High Court of Justice approved her disqualification.
The struggle between the parties making up the Joint Arab List is mostly hidden from the public eye, mainly because of the need to show unity and preserve what has proved to be a winning political formula, but many in the Arab sector have tired of Balad's defiance, which is often perceived as provocation for the sake of provocation.
Between party founder Azmi Bishara's direct involvement with the Hezbollah terrorist group, former MK Hanin Zoabi's participation in the Maramar flotilla had her constant suspensions from the Knesset over ethics violations, and the conviction of MK Basel Ghattas for smuggling cellphones to jailed terrorists, many in the Arab sector have had enough.
Many political experts believe that, faced with the growing public criticism, Balad may be preparing public opinion to the fact that Yazbak's removal from the 2020 Knesset race will be used by the party as a pretext to exit it altogether.
This scenario would shake Arab politics in Israel to their core, and the fact that it is even being discussed signals potential winds of change.
Since its inception in 1995, Balad has successfully defeated repeated High Court petitions to disqualify its members from serving in the Knesset. Its actions have seen both Jewish and Arab votes label it as extreme and Balad lawmakers have done little to dispel that notion.
Whether Balad defeats yet another legal hurdle remains to be seen, but the party is likely to keep losing support among the Arab public, and not necessarily because of its hawkish stance on Israel, but also because of the rift within the party over what is happening in the Arab world.
Balad's impending demise is largely due to its failure to sustain public interest and garner the support of young Arab voters are interested in integration – not separatism.
