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A program published by The Joint List (Hadash-Ta'al-Balad)
The Joint List's platform: There is another way
The full platform has twenty chapters. Shown here are the chapters assigned to topics on this site (1, 2, 4-14 and 17-20) and one sentence of chapter 15, each paragraph as worded. Two chapters (3 and 16) and the rest of chapter 15 are not shown by topic; all of them can be read on the source page. The page shows no date.
Official source: The Joint List's Platform: There is another wayRecruitment and service
- •We reject military and 'civil' service schemes, all forms of conscription, and the other Israelisation and rights-conditioning programmes, and support free volunteering for the community.
Security and foreign policy
- •We work to consolidate the cessation of the war and the genocide and prevent their resumption, to lift the siege on Gaza and end military control over it, to guarantee aid, reconstruction and the return of the displaced, and to resume the operations of international organisations, foremost among them the Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA.
- •We fight annexation, settlement, displacement and settler violence, and stand for the protection of the civilian population, the holy sites and freedom of worship, and for bringing those responsible for violations to justice in accordance with international law.
- •We are committed to ending the occupation and throw our full weight behind any move that will lead to its end and to the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the borders of 4 June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside Israel, and to a just solution to the refugee issue and their right of return in accordance with international resolutions, foremost among them Resolution 194. We work to advance a serious diplomatic process with the PLO that will lead to a just and comprehensive peace and guarantee the rights of both peoples to equality between them, and freedom, security and dignity for all peoples of the region.
Crime and Personal Security
- •We fight the war of organised crime and violence in Palestinian Arab society, and hold state institutions responsible for their spread and for their failure to provide personal security.
- •Implementing a comprehensive and binding government programme to dismantle crime organisations, carry out enforcement against their networks, collect illegal weapons, dry up their funding sources, and fight protection rackets, money laundering, and corruption. We demand protection for witnesses, business owners, elected officials, and workers under threat.
- •Structural change in state policy, which will end discrimination and guarantee equality, development, and social justice, and tackle the structural causes of the spread of crime, including land, housing, and planning issues.
- •Expanding prevention programmes and education and employment opportunities, which will protect young people from exploitation and from being enticed to join crime networks.
- •Supporting victims of crime and their families, and strengthening mutual aid networks, youth and community frameworks, reconciliation and sulha committees, and civic initiatives.
- •Building the 'Coalition for Life' together with local authorities and community institutions, to strengthen joint action in the fight against crime, alongside placing full responsibility on the state to defend and safeguard the rights and freedoms of citizens.
- •We view the poor economic situation in Arab society and its ramifications across various areas of life as one of the factors behind the spread of crime; likewise the stringent banking restrictions imposed on a significant part of the Arab public (under the pretext of its economic condition) — which push many to turn to loans on the black market linked to criminal gangs.
Economy and cost of living
- •We work to confront monopolies and the dominance of large corporations in the markets, and to tighten price controls on food, medicines, electricity, water and basic services.
- •We demand that companies be required to disclose product costs and their profits, and that price controls be implemented when necessary, to prevent the exploitation of the public and curb price increases.
- •We fight for progressive taxation (in which those with high incomes and large profits pay a higher tax rate), which will ease the burden on low- and middle-income earners and increase the contribution of big capital owners, corporations, and banks to funding public services.
- •We work to redirect budgets to education, health, housing, social services, and employment opportunities, instead of consuming them on war, occupation, and settlements.
- •We demand raising the minimum wage to at least 70% of the average wage, updating it periodically, and reducing the number of working hours without reducing pay.
- •We work to strengthen trade unionisation, collective agreements, and the right to strike, to improve working conditions, to expand direct and stable employment, and to reduce the employment of workers through contracting agencies.
- •We confront all forms of discrimination in hiring, pay, and promotion, and work to promote fair representation and high-quality employment opportunities in jobs that guarantee fair pay.
- •We demand strict inspection of occupational safety and health in workplaces, holding employers who endanger workers accountable to the full extent of the law, and ensuring their protection during work.
- •We work to develop industrial zones and employment centres, and to support agriculture, industry, tourism, services and cooperative ventures, in a manner that strengthens local production and provides jobs for members of Arab society.
- •We demand providing loans on fair terms and with state guarantees to small and medium-sized businesses and enterprises, as well as professional consulting services that will help them survive and expand.
- •We work to allocate a fair share of government investment to Arab localities, and equal opportunities for businesses in government tenders and contracts, and tackle the barriers facing the establishment and development of businesses, especially those led by young people and women.
- •We work to expand access to finance and loans on favourable terms, in a manner that protects families and business owners from "grey market" loan networks or predatory loans.
Education
- •We fight for an education system that serves all students in full equality, instils values of democracy, tolerance and openness to the other, rejects racism, and prepares future generations to confront the challenges of the changing world in which we live.
- •Self-management of Arab education, which will ensure its pedagogical and administrative independence, a deep and thorough reform of the Arab education system and its goals, and the achievement of justice and equality in the distribution of resources and budgets.
- •We defend education that strengthens Arab and Palestinian national identity, the Arabic language and culture, preserves collective memory, and teaches Palestinian history and narrative.
- •We strengthen critical thinking and discourse founded on democratic principles and the rejection of racist discourse, and strengthen the status of teachers and freedom of thought and debate.
- •We work for free, high-quality public education from early childhood to higher education, and the allocation of free public day-care centres and educational frameworks for children, from birth to age three.
- •We demand the gradual abolition of parental payments, the reduction of overcrowding in classrooms, the development of schools, laboratories, and arts and sports facilities, and the strengthening of special education services and emotional support.
- •We work to lower the cost of higher education, expand scholarships and student dormitories, establish an Arab university recognised and funded by the state, and ensure fair procedures for the recognition of degrees from universities abroad.
- •We stand against all attempts to legislate laws and work regulations that would restrict freedom of political organising in universities and higher education institutions, including freedom of political activity, expression and activism.
Health
- •We work to strengthen the public healthcare system, and to expand clinics, emergency and first-aid centres, and preventive medicine and mental health services in remote localities and regions.
- •We demand an increase in the number of beds, medical staff, and specialists, an expansion of the basket of medications and treatments, and an easing of the financial burden on patients.
- •We work for fair funding for Arab community hospitals, foremost among them the hospitals in Nazareth, and for developing their capabilities and services.
- •We confront discrimination against Arab healthcare workers, and in the training, employment, and promotion of Arab healthcare professionals, and defend everyone's right to quality care within a strong public healthcare system.
Housing
- •We work to halt the home demolitions resulting from the planning siege, to repeal the Kaminitz Law and the fines derived from it, and to regularise the status of existing homes. We demand an expansion of jurisdictional boundaries and building areas, and the acceleration of the approval of comprehensive and detailed master plans in accordance with the residents' needs and on clear timetables, in a manner that will guarantee the right of Arab localities to develop.
- •We stand against land expropriation and the policy of exclusion and Judaisation of the Galilee and the Negev, and work to return expropriated lands that were not used for the declared purpose of the expropriation, and to involve residents and local authorities in decisions concerning their land and their future.
- •We defend the rights of the internally displaced in Israel, foremost among them the right of return to their villages and their right to reclaim their lands and property.
- •We work to expand public housing, and to formulate housing solutions at affordable prices and with subsidised, long-term rent.
- •We demand loans on favourable terms and state guarantees to obtain housing, and the cancellation of discriminatory criteria for eligibility for housing programmes and public assistance.
- •We work to advance solutions suited to young people, families and low-income earners that address historical disparities in land and planning.
- •We demand the planning of comprehensive residential neighbourhoods, which will include schools, clinics, transport, places of employment and parks, in a manner that ensures quality of life.
Transportation and infrastructure
- •We work to expand the bus network and increase service frequency, so that buses reach Arab localities and neighbourhoods and connect them to universities, hospitals and workplaces, and to connect them to the rail network. We demand direct routes, more frequent trips, safe stations accessible to all, and lower transport costs.
- •We demand a binding plan to address dangerous junctions and roads, develop pavements, street lighting and pedestrian crossings, ensure safety around schools and day-care centres, improve rescue and emergency services, and enhance road safety.
Society and welfare
- •We fight for just and inclusive economic development for all citizens, and the allocation of budgets to fight poverty and reduce economic and social disparities between regions and populations, with a special emphasis on the Negev, coastal and mixed cities, the unrecognised villages, and excluded neighbourhoods and population groups.
- •We confront privatisation and the economic policy that deepens class disparities and national discrimination, reject the privatisation of basic services such as education, health, housing, and welfare, and work to strengthen public institutions and guarantee high-quality services accessible to all.
- •We demand the expansion of social security, benefits and support services, in a manner that protects individuals and families from poverty and ensures their social and economic rights and a life of dignity.
- •We work to build national development institutions, to support local production and small and medium-sized businesses, and to expand education, employment and housing opportunities, in a manner that narrows gaps in society and strengthens its steadfastness and cohesion in the face of deepening poverty and exclusion.
- •We demand an increase in old-age, disability, unemployment, and income support allowances, and an expansion of protection for single-earner families and low-income earners.
- •We work to strengthen welfare departments and social services, increase the number of social workers and improve their employment conditions, and fund services according to residents' needs.
- •We support care and protection frameworks for children, the elderly and people with disabilities, and psychological, social and legal support for families affected by violence and crime.
- •We work to advance the constitutional enshrinement of social rights, and to strengthen prevention and early intervention before difficulties turn into crises.
Gender Equality & Women's Rights
- •We work to strengthen the status of women and ensure their rights to full equality and equal opportunities, and to expand their participation in political and public life and in leadership and decision-making positions.
- •We work to implement a binding plan to combat femicide and all forms of violence against women, and to expand shelters, emergency hotlines, and support services in Arabic; and to protect them from harassment and political violence, and to develop health and welfare services that address their needs.
- •We place responsibility on the police and the state for protection, investigation, and bringing attackers to justice, and demand immediate protection for threatened women and their children.
- •We work to promote equal pay, employment opportunities, and funding for women's initiatives, alongside daycare centres, transport, and care services that will enable economic independence and sharing the burden of care.
Regional Development & Periphery
- •We stand against the plan to displace the Arab villages in the Negev and expropriate their lands, and work for the recognition of the unrecognised villages, to stop the demolitions, displacement and dispossession, and to strengthen the residents' hold on their land.
- •We demand the allocation of the required budgets for establishing and developing infrastructure, connecting the villages to water, electricity, roads and transport, and provision for schools, clinics and other basic services.
- •We work to advance a just resolution of ownership issues, which will be founded on recognition of the residents' rights and dialogue with them, and on compensation for the damage of demolitions, expropriations and displacement.
- •We emphasise that basic services are the right of every person, and work to guarantee them unconditionally and without them serving as a means of pressure on people to leave their land.
- •We fight for full equality between Arab and Jewish local authorities in the distribution of resources and budgets, and the allocation of additional budgets to narrow the accumulated gaps in infrastructure, education, health, social services and planning.
- •We demand the expansion of the jurisdictions of Arab localities and of the powers of local authorities, the strengthening of their professional teams – with an emphasis on the fields of engineering, planning, the environment and inspection – and ensuring their genuine participation in planning and development decisions.
- •We work to promote a fair distribution of municipal property tax revenues from industrial and commercial zones, the development of stable sources of revenue for local authorities, and the establishment of employment zones within the jurisdiction of the localities and for the benefit of their residents.
- •We demand the development of public services and facilities, ensuring a meaningful role for local authorities in planning and development, and providing the necessary tools and protection to local authorities that will enable them to manage public funds without extortion and without the influence of organised crime.
- •We demand that all neighbourhoods and villages be connected to basic services, and reject denying them to families or using them as a means of pressure over planning crises.
- •We work to develop advanced infrastructure in all Arab towns and villages, complete the connection of all homes to water, electricity, sewerage and stormwater drainage networks, and renew ageing infrastructure in accordance with residents' needs and the growth of localities.
- •We demand the upgrading of technological infrastructure in public buildings, schools, libraries and more, particularly the rollout of high-speed internet and fibre-optic networks.
Agriculture & Food Security
- •Lifting the restrictions imposed in recent years on the agricultural sector, in the service of monopolies and large corporations and to suppress small businesses, including private poultry slaughterhouses, poultry farming, chicken coops and egg production on small private farms.
Culture
- •We believe that Palestinian Arab culture, in all its diverse intellectual, literary and artistic expressions, is a foundational pillar in preserving the national identity of the Arab public and strengthening belonging and collective memory, and that it has a role in building society and confronting policies of erasure and exclusion.
- •We demand fair funding for Palestinian Arab cultural institutions, and increased support for cultural and artistic creation, including theatre, cinema, music, literature, the arts and libraries.
- •We demand the development of cultural and youth centres and public spaces, and making cultural creation and participation accessible in all localities.
- •We defend the freedom of the artist, the writer and the creator, and confront political censorship and the penalisation of institutions for their positions or identity.
- •We defend the Arabic language, Palestinian memory and culture, and the right of Arab society to develop its institutions freely and independently.
Environment and climate
- •We work to address environmental destruction and pollution resulting from quarries, landfills and hazardous facilities near neighbourhoods and schools, which exist particularly in Arab localities, and to require polluting parties to remove the hazard and bear the costs.
- •We demand a modern system for waste collection, sorting and recycling, the publication of air, water and soil quality data in Arabic, and the inclusion of residents in decisions concerning their environment and health.
- •We work to increase the number of public parks, promote renewable energy, upgrade drainage systems and prepare for fires, floods and heatwaves.
- •We demand a fair distribution of environmental resources and services, and protection for marginalised localities and neighbourhoods against being turned into landfill sites and polluting facilities.