Israeli Ad Watch   Balad's Parody 'Hatikvah' Ad  On the surface,
Balad's Press Conference ad is a comic parody intended to
ridicule right-wing politicians and the bevy of legislation
intended to question Arab citizens' loyalty to the State of
Israel. But the ad leads up to a call to Arab viewers to fight
the legislation rather than to leave the political playing field
to anti-Arab politicians, and of course, to vote for Balad.
Intriguingly, a party considered to be separatist is asking its
voters to become more active citizens in Israeli society, to
engage with its cultural symbols and political discourse.  Video
screenshot  Balad, the Nationalist Democratic Alliance, is known
for its demand for Israel to become a state of all its citizens
and not specifically a Jewish state, and its call for protected
minority status for Israel’s Palestinian citizens. Twice in the
last decade, the party was disqualified by the Central Elections
Committee from taking part in the elections, decisions
subsequently overturned by