The government designated the protest group as a terrorist organization last year, prompting criticism. The countryβs Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to the ban on Wednesday.
The Arab parties have long been kept on the political sidelines. But stunning turnout by their supporters makes the Arab minority an Israeli political reality that cannot be ignored.
Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich lead ultranationalist parties that previously joined forces, in deals brokered by Benjamin Netanyahu. They are not on the same slate this time.
As Israel votes, ever more strident hard-right views compete with hopes for a diverse land. The outcome could shape the countryβs identity for years.
A banner for the Likud party and its leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, with the slogan, βThe Right or Palestine.β Other candidates in the elections are to the left of it.
Supporters and opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have expressed intense anxieties about isolation abroad, security at home and the future of Israelβs identity.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israelβs prime minister, speaking to supporters in the food court of a shopping mall in Holon, Israel, during a campaign visit this month.