MK Zkoor launches new Arab party

[oberliner]

MK Abas Zkoor (United Arab List-Ta'al) on Wednesday announced the establishment of a new Arab party: Al-Wasat Al-Arabi (The Arab Center.)

Zkoor, who presented the new party during a press conference in Akko, told Ynet about the change he hopes to generate. "For the first time there will be an Arab party that takes care of the citizen and his hardships," he said.

"It is not our job to occupy ourselves with the issues of the Palestinian people and the Arab world at the expense of 1.3 million Arabs who live in Israel," Zkoor added.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3632929,00.html

[azurnoir]

1. I am torn on this

part of me says good a centrist Arab party and part of me says does Israel really need yet another political party

[eyl]

2. Depending on how he does, he may wind up

pulling enough voters of other Arab parties to the point those collapse. I've heard a number of times that there is quite a bit of dissatisfaction among Israel's Arabs that their elected representatives prefer involving themselves with issues regarding the Palestinians rather than issues affecting their actual constituents.