Protesting for "real democracy" in Israel and the world, Israeli citizens cede their vote to Palestinians

Ahead of the upcoming elections in Israel on 22 January 2013, Israeli and Palestinian peace activists have called on Israeli citizens to cast their vote according to instructions taken by Palestinian counterparts. Making use of a Facebook page established for the purpose, numerous pairs of Israeli and Palestine citizens have already agreed on such an arrangement.

A statement published on the Facebook page declares that 

We are Palestinians and Israelis who refuse to participate in the illusion of democracy anymore. In the upcoming Israeli elections we, citizens of Palestine, will exercise our civic right to vote. We, Israeli citizens, will give up our own votes and instead vote as our Palestinian counterparts tell us to.

According to the statement, the campaigners believe that the principle of democratic equality requires that "either the Israeli occupation stops, or  all Palestinians must be allowed to vote in the Israeli elections." "To leave Palestinians subjects of a state in which they are not full citizens, is in contradicion with the basic principles of democracy."

The campaign's statement also declares that "without equality between citizens, the UN and other global institutions cannot be democratic."

In addition to "getting rid" of the veto power of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council as "one of the most important steps" to make the UN more democratic, the campaigners thus are convinced that

No less important is giving citizens, not just governments, a voice in the UN system. A specific proposal that has been gaining considerable support in recent years is the establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. Such a UNPA, an embryo for a UN parliament and modelled after the European Parliament, would allow representation even for those citizens that have no recognized government, like the Palestinians. A UNPA will also give a voice not just to the majority but also to minorities within Israel - minorities that are not represented by the Israeli government but by opposition parties.

For more information, visit the campaign's Facebook page.