Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the governing coalition are laying the groundwork to strip the next elections of their substantive meaning and to fundamentally alter their democratic character. In effect, these efforts seek to rewrite the rules of the democratic game in Israel in a manner that would significantly diminish any real possibility of replacing the current government through free and fair elections.

The Arab population in Israel is a central and explicit target of this legislative agenda. The Zulat team has identified 17 legislative proposals – including measures that expand the grounds for disqualifying Arab parties and candidates – whose cumulative purpose is to exclude Arab citizens from meaningful political participation.

While each proposal may appear neutral or technical in isolation, taken together they form a coherent framework for electoral manipulation. By combining laws that specifically target the Arab public with broader election measures designed to maximize government control, these initiatives threaten core democratic principles, including equality, ballot secrecy, and the fundamental rights to vote and to be elected.

Confronting this reality requires a coordinated response from the opposition, civil society, human rights organizations and academia. Clear red lines must be drawn, legislative and administrative actions must be systematically monitored, and public trust in the democratic process must be actively defended. A broad and sustained public response is essential – not only to counter anti-democratic measures in general, but to resist the targeted erosion of political rights of the Arab public in particular.