Arab youth to politicians: Lay out concrete plans and we’ll vote
For years, low voter turnout among young Arab citizens in Israel has often been explained away as “apathy,” “despair,” or “alienation.” But a new survey conducted for The Abraham Initiatives by the Afkar Research Institute among Arab young adults aged 18–34 paints a very different picture.
The problem is not that young Arabs are uninterested in politics. The problem is that they expect politics to mean something concrete.
Young Arab voters are looking for clear answers. They want to know what politicians actually intend to do about violence and crime, housing shortages, unemployment, discrimination, and personal security. They are looking for practical plans — not vague rhetoric about “change,” “partnership,” or “hope.”
The survey findings are remarkably consistent on this point.
When respondents were asked what would motivate young people to vote, the leading answer by far was the presentation of a concrete plan to address the everyday economic and social problems facing young Arabs. Nearly 30% selected this option — significantly more than those who pointed to social media campaigns, youth events, or grassroots mobilization efforts.
In other words, young Arab citizens are effectively telling politicians: before you make another TikTok video, explain what you actually plan to do.
The same pattern appears in relation to political messaging itself. Some 61% of respondents said that the desire to replace the current Netanyahu-Ben Gvir government could motivate young people to vote. By contrast, a more general slogan such as “if my generation votes, the condition of Arab society will improve” generated less support.
This distinction matters.
Young voters appear to respond more strongly to clear and defined political objectives than to abstract promises about future change. They are not rejecting politics. They are rejecting political ambiguity.
And here lies the real paradox: among a generation often described as disconnected or cynical, belief in the power of politics actually remains relatively high.
76% of respondents said Arab citizens can create meaningful change through national politics. Seventy-two percent said Jewish-Arab political cooperation can also produce real change.
This is not a picture of democratic disengagement. It is a picture of frustration with politics perceived as empty, symbolic, and ineffective.
The turnout figures themselves reinforce this conclusion. Expected voter turnout among young Arab citizens in the next election stands at roughly 59% — not catastrophic, but still far below the potential.
Past elections have already demonstrated how strongly turnout in Arab society responds to political meaning and credibility. In the 2020 elections, under the unified Joint List, turnout among Arab voters climbed to roughly 65%. Following the political fragmentation of 2021, it dropped sharply to around 45%, recovering only partially in 2022.
Arab voters have already shown that when there is a clear goal, a sense of influence, and leadership perceived as credible, they participate. The current survey suggests this is especially true for younger voters.
Among respondents who voted in previous elections, 70% say they intend to vote again. But among young people who previously abstained despite being eligible to vote, only 15% say they will definitely vote next time, while another 42% say they “probably” will.
This is not a public that has abandoned politics altogether. It is a public with very little patience left for slogans. Young Arab citizens are still waiting to be convinced — but they are demanding something more serious in return: clarity, credibility, and practical action.
