How Bedouin voters became a defining story of Israel's 2026 election - analysis

Yesterday in the middle of the Negev Desert, something amazing happened. Negev Bedouin, the poorest people in our country, came out in the some of the highest numbers. The credit belongs to them. And also to the system.

Israel’s system brings the splinters of this country real representation. These groups don’t get diluted by district lines for electing lawmakers.

They don’t get stuffed by being thrown into giant political parties that have to have to big tent.

No. They can put up parties, run candidates, and play politics on their own. With the big boys.

It works. And it renews the Israeli system time after time.

We've seen it with the Shas Party, forged by discrimination by Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox against Sephardic counterparts. With immigrants from the former Soviet Union, especially in their early years in the country. Groups continue to try it, understanding that at first they may not succeed.

That happened in this cycle with a tiny party representing ultra-Orthodox who want change in their community on education, work, and military service.

So, yes, we have a lot of parties, and we have a lot of elections, and we have a lot of chaos. But our destruction is creative destruction. Creating a country where politics matter, where politics move forward. And where, with fits and starts, politics really and truly can include everyone.

Marginalized groups come out in the Israeli system because they know they come out of the polling place with members of Knesset who represent them. They don’t need to fight inside some big-tent party. Or make do with a representative of a district with lines on a map.

No. A party, in this the Raam Party, that represents them.

Israel’s system excels at that and has done it time after time. The wider public doesn’t always like the results. Narrow constituencies can be frustrating.

People hate our system. They say it has too many parties. Too many elections. And too much chaos.

What happened yesterday should put those arguments in the waste basket. As 77% of Israelis went to cast their ballots.