Progressive National Alliance

The Progressive National Alliance (Hebrew: ברית לאומית מתקדמת‎, Brit Leumit Mitkademet), originally known as National Unity – National Progressive Alliance (Hebrew: אחדות לאומית – הברית הלאומית המתקדמת‎, Akdhut Leumit – HaBrit HaLeumit HaMitkademet), was a small Israeli Arab political party in Israel in the early 21st century.

Background

The party was formed when three MKs broke away from the United Arab List during the 15th Knesset. Two of them formed the Arab National Party, whilst former Hadash MK Hashem Mahameed formed National Unity – National Progressive Alliance.

Mahameed turned the faction into a full political party in order to participate in the 2003 elections, renaming it the Progressive National Alliance. However, the party won only 20,571 votes (0.7%), less than half the number needed to cross the 1.5% electoral threshold. Amongst Israeli Arabs the party won 6.3% of the vote,^[1] almost all of them in Mahmeed's hometown, Umm al-Fahm.^[2]

Since running in the municipal elections in Umm al-Fahm in October 2003 as part of an alliance with Hadash, Balad and the Sons of the Village Movement,^[3] the party has not been active in politics since and appears to have disbanded. Mahmeed was a contender for a place on Hadash's list in the 2006 elections, but was not on the final slate.

References

1. ^ Minorities Haaretz
2. ^ Hadash seeks to boost support in Triangle Haaretz
3. ^ Strong Islamic Sentiment Drives Arab Elections Jerusalem Post, 30 October 2003

External links

• Progressive National Alliance Knesset website