We need an Arab voice in the Jerusalem municipality

This February 27, we have a chance to make history. To make the Jerusalem municipality look east and see that we, the Arab residents of the city, deserve the same service that the Jews deserve.

Jerusalem was and will remain Palestinian. Nothing can change that, not even voting for the municipality. Going to the polls to elect a Palestinian representative to the city council is not a political act, but rather our demand to obtain our full rights. To be part of the decision-making process regarding our lives here in Jerusalem.

For 57 years, we have not received the service we deserve from the municipality - in education, streets, hygiene, playgrounds and parks, in all the discrimination we are subjected to. This happens for many reasons, but the main reason is that we are not represented. We have no voice in the municipality and are therefore less important to the mayor and the municipality as a whole.

The list of "all its residents" wants to change that and create an Arab voice in the municipality. Let there be members of the Palestinian Council who will take care of the Arab neighborhoods, who will work to stop the demolition of homes, who will take care of budgets for our neighborhoods, and the inclusion of Arab residents in the various municipal committees, who will take care of doing what is necessary so that the municipality takes into account our interests.

This is not politics, this is our life!

For 57 years we tried to abstain from voting, but the attempt failed. Now it's time for a new experience - influencing from within! We want Jerusalem to be the capital of Palestine, and I believe that will happen, but until then we have to continue to live in this city. It is enough that we have Ben Gvir and his friends in the government, and we must make sure that the municipality has our voice as well.

A strong voice that will stand up to the racists, to the right-wing Jews who want to deport us and say: “We are here - we will stay here.” The "all residents" members of the municipality will not allow them to continue to ignore us. We will work in every way to make the municipality invest more in the Palestinian population. We will demand, we will scream, and in the end we will receive it too - because we deserve it!

Equality is not asked for, equality is taken, and the way to obtain it is to have courage and determination, to go out on Tuesday, the 27th of the month, to vote for “Daf” “all its residents” led by Sondos Alhout. Don't let anyone tell you that you will drown, this is not a waiver of our national rights, it is just a requirement to receive services from the municipality, just as the Jews receive them. We pay taxes like them, and we have to get services like them.

We need an Arab voice in the municipality. We must go out and vote!