Israel is often heralded as the only true democracy in the Middle East, but the perspectives of many Israeli Arabs offer quiet refutation of that claim. Azmi Bishara, a former professor, Arab, and current member of the Knesset, calls Israel a “tribal democracy”, which excludes one fifth of its nation's members, the approximately one million Arabs living in Israel. They have the right to vote, participate actively in the armed services and defense of the nation, but many feel discriminated against and excluded from meaningful participation in government.