Millions of Palestinians living under Israeli control have been stripped of their ability to vote in the upcoming parliamentary election that will shape their lives, RT correspondent Charlotte Dubenskij reports.
Ahead of the October 27 vote, Dubenskij visited East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank to examine Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s description of Israel as the Middle East’s “only true democracy.”
In East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed in a move rejected by the UN, many Palestinians hold permanent residency rather than Israeli citizenship. They pay taxes, social security, and VAT, but cannot vote for the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
“We are really helpless, voiceless,” one resident told RT. Another described the frustration of facing the consequences of an election without being able to influence it.
Although Palestinian residents who obtain Israeli citizenship can vote, those who spoke to RT opposed taking that step, arguing it would amount to recognizing Israeli sovereignty.
In the West Bank, around three million Palestinians live with Israeli control over key aspects of their daily lives, including movement and construction. Area C, covering roughly 61% of the territory, remains under full Israeli control.
Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti argued that the occupation and different legal systems applied to Palestinians and Israeli settlers contradict Israel’s democratic claims.
“Two different laws for two people in the same area is nothing but the description of apartheid,” he told RT.
Settlements and National Missions Minister Orit Strook, meanwhile, has advocated allowing Palestinians to remain while denying them a parliamentary vote. “They can stay here as human beings, of course,” she said, but stressed that they “shouldn’t be able to vote for the Knesset.”
Barghouti further accused Israel of obstructing internal Palestinian elections. The Palestinian Authority cited Israel’s refusal to guarantee voting in East Jerusalem when it canceled elections in 2021.
For Palestinians interviewed in Ramallah, the priority is to be allowed to hold their own elections rather than voting under occupation.
Watch the full report below.