Palestinians in Israel Demand Change as Committee Leadership Election Approaches
This weekend marks a crucial moment for Palestinian citizens of Israel. Council heads from Arab towns and villages across the country will gather to elect a new president for the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel. However, this isn’t just another routine election. It’s sparked intense debate about whether the committee still serves its purpose and if it’s time for major reforms.
The committee was formed back in the early 1980s to act as an umbrella organization representing Palestinians living within Israel. For decades, it’s advocated for their political and civil rights. But recently, many community members argue it’s lost touch with the people it claims to represent. They’re calling for changes that would make the body more inclusive, more effective, and more responsive to today’s challenges.
Crime Crisis Puts Pressure on Leadership
One of the biggest issues fueling demands for reform is the alarming surge in crime within Palestinian communities in Israel. The numbers tell a devastating story. According to the Abraham Initiatives, 223 Palestinian citizens of Israel have been killed in crime-related incidents just since the beginning of this year. That includes 20 women and 112 people under thirty years old.
Maha Igbaria, a human rights lawyer, doesn’t mince words about the situation. She told Middle East Eye that the escalating crime rate is “the biggest challenge facing Arab society in Israel.” The phenomenon has spiraled out of control, and she believes the committee should play a more active role in conflict resolution.
Earlier this month, young men in the northern city of Arraba took to the streets to demonstrate their frustration. They accused committee leaders of being indifferent to the wave of violence sweeping through their towns. Mohammad Barakeh, the outgoing committee head, acknowledged their anger but argued it “should be directed at the establishment responsible” – meaning the Israeli government.
Who Gets a Seat at the Table?
Beyond the crime crisis, there’s growing frustration about who actually gets to participate in the committee’s leadership. Currently, it’s a non-partisan political body made up of local council heads, Palestinian members of parliament, party representatives, and some non-parliamentary organizations. But many argue this structure leaves out huge segments of the community.
Women Push for Representation
The exclusion of women has become particularly controversial in recent weeks. Committee member Mansour Dahamsha made waves when he remarked that “women have many abilities, but their interest in politics is lower.” His comment triggered widespread anger across the community, despite his later apology.
In response, two women decided they’d had enough. Rula Daood, co-director of the grassroots group Standing Together, and Neveen Abu Rahmoun, a former Balad parliamentarian, became the first women to submit candidacies for the committee’s leadership. Both called for a new kind of leadership – one that’s younger, more courageous, and actually listens to people instead of talking down to them.
Daood’s candidacy hit a roadblock when local leaders withdrew their support at the last minute. She couldn’t move forward. Abu Rahmoun, however, refused to back down despite facing similar pressure. She’s now one of five candidates in the race, making history simply by staying in it.
Opening Doors That Have Been Closed
Abu Rahmoun explained to MEE that her candidacy stems from a deep belief that the Follow-Up Committee needs complete reconstruction. Arab society faces existential challenges right now, she said, and the committee needs to restore its collective and popular spirit. “It is necessary to open the door to women and young people for active political participation, which until now has been closed,” she emphasized.
Igbaria agrees there’s a problem with the committee’s current structure. “There is no openness in the committee,” she said. The more diverse and open a group is, she explained, the broader its popular base will be. It’s a simple concept, yet the committee has struggled to embrace it.
Even Barakeh, the outgoing head, acknowledged that criticism over the lack of women and the absence of representation from the Negev region was “justified.” He urged the committee to take concrete steps to address these gaps.
Can the Committee Still Represent Palestinian Citizens in Israel?
Areen Hawari, director of the Gender Studies Programme at the Haifa-based Palestinian research institution Mada al-Carmel, captured the frustration many feel. In a Facebook post, she wrote that Palestinian citizens of Israel need a body “to express our causes, aspirations, and positions, and to raise our voices in defence of our people.” The community has been living through what she calls their second Nakba for the past two years, referring to ongoing Israeli violence in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
But here’s the catch: while Hawari recognizes the need for a framework representing a community “suffering from crime, corruption, and division,” she holds “no illusions” that the current committee can fulfill that role. It’s a sentiment echoed by many others who want reform but doubt the existing structure can deliver it.
Understanding the Committee’s Origins
To understand today’s debates, you need to know where the committee came from. It was established in 1982 during a period of national resurgence among Palestinian citizens of Israel throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The committee’s purpose was to monitor how the Israeli government treated Palestinian citizens in key areas like education, welfare, sports, and agriculture.
Palestinian citizens of Israel are the native population who remained in their homes after Zionist militias violently displaced hundreds of thousands during Israel’s creation in 1948. Despite receiving citizenship, they’ve faced discriminatory laws and practices for decades. Between 1948 and 1966, they even lived under military rule.
Israel has never officially recognized the High Follow-Up Committee. In fact, members of the governing coalition called for it to be outlawed in July 2023. Despite this hostile stance, the committee has organized numerous demonstrations over the years against land confiscation for Jewish settlements, along with protests and strikes on various other issues.
Recent Actions and Future Questions
During the genocide in Gaza, the committee has continued organizing demonstrations and strikes in response to Israeli attacks in the enclave and the occupied West Bank. This activism shows the committee still plays some role, but critics question whether it’s doing enough or if it’s truly representing the community’s will.
Igbaria stressed that while the committee’s “importance and legitimacy” shouldn’t be dismissed entirely, it “must derive its legitimacy from the public.” That’s the heart of the matter. Without genuine public support and participation, the committee becomes just another detached political body.
What Happens Next?
Despite her groundbreaking candidacy, Abu Rahmoun isn’t expected to win. Jamal Zahalka, former Balad leader and member of parliament, is considered the leading candidate. But Igbaria sees value in Abu Rahmoun’s campaign regardless of the outcome. “I’m happy that Abu Rahmoun managed to submit her candidacy,” she said. “It’s doubtful she’ll secure a place in the decision-making position, but there is now a new perspective.”
That new perspective matters. Whether or not reform comes immediately, the conversation has shifted. Young people, women, and community members who’ve felt excluded are now demanding their voices be heard. They’re questioning structures that have been in place for decades and asking whether those structures still serve them well.
The committee faces enormous challenges. Rising crime threatens community safety. Israeli violence in Gaza and the West Bank demands coordinated responses. Women and youth want meaningful participation, not token gestures. These aren’t problems that’ll disappear after Saturday’s election, regardless of who wins.
What’s clear is that Palestinian citizens of Israel want leadership that acts with them, not above them. They want a body that truly represents their diversity and responds to their most pressing concerns. Whether the High Follow-Up Committee can transform itself to meet these demands remains an open question. But one thing’s certain: the pressure for change isn’t going away anytime soon.
