Arabs reject Labor Party membership
Newspaper says dozens have been signed up to party without their consent, knowledge; Arab village resident: It’s sad local residents serve as Labor Party’s 'scalpers’
Did Israeli Arabs join the Labor Party without even knowing it?
Many Arab citizens found themselves on the Labor Party roles following last month's membership drive without having actually signed up to join the party, according to at least one report in the Arabic-language newspaper Pesel el-Makel,
The campaign was widely reported to have been fraudulent.
After discovering they had been mistakenly added to the party roles, dozens of people approached the party in writing demanding to be taken off the party list.
"Dear Labor Party: We, the undersigned, were surprised to learn that our names appear on the membership list for the Labor Party. We hereby confirm that we never filled out any membership forms and view this in a very serious light. We request that our names be removed from the membership list immediately," they wrote.
'Saddening and irritating'
The newspaper added that the Labor Party's claim that 25,000 Arabs joined the party last month was probably unrealistic.
"There were probably 25,000 total signups, not 25,000 Arabs," it said.
Apparently, votes “contractors” offer monetary and other benefits to people who in turn provide them with lists of names they then add to the party roles.
The newspaper said that according to the Labor Party more than 400 residents from the northern Arab village Kabul registered to the party, but an investigation revealed that most of the new party members were surprised to hear of their new status and condemned the phenomenon.
“It is saddening and irritating to hear of this act that was carried out by members of our village who wanted to serve as the Labor Party’s “scalpers,” apparently for a small amount of money or other fringe benefits,” Kabul resident Haled Hamud said.
“Those who registered (the village’s residents) forgot the dark and atrocious history of the (Labor) party against us, against the Palestinian people and against the Arab nation in general.”
The Labor Party told Ynet in response, “The party has been made aware of complaints from a number of Arab-Israelis who claim they joined the party unwillingly and wish to annul the membership.”
“Labor Party Secretary-General Eitan Cabel has received their letter and will deal with the members’ complaints and examine the matter thoroughly,” the party said in a statement.
