Citizenship and the parliamentary politics of minorities in ethnic states: The Palestinian citizens of Israel

Equal citizenship in multi-ethnic states entails that citizens, regardless of ethnic affiliation, have equal influence on the political system through voting and other forms of political participation. Ethnic states often curb the minority's ability to influence the ethnic political system through a variety of control mechanisms. This article examines how the ethnic Jewish character of Israel places the Palestinian minority in a political predicament and how this predicament has been reflected in their voting behaviour and parliamentary politics, particularly in the last two parliamentary elections.