Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas recently asserted that Arab Israelis would become a "major influencer" in Israel's politics, if only they would turn out for national elections at similar levels as they do for municipal votes.

He also expressed criticism of Arab Israelis who he said shun the elections in Israel because they consider the Knesset to be a "Zionist council," and lashed out at members of the majority-Arab Joint List party for quarreling over what he described as "trivial matters."