Arab Parties in Israel Signal Readiness to Help Oust Netanyahu
Arab parties said they could back an opposition bid as record turnout among Palestinian citizens helped them win a historic share of seats, officials said.
- Following Tuesday's election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc secured 54 seats and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's bloc reached 49 seats, both falling short of the 61-seat majority required to govern. Arab-led parties won 17 seats, emerging as potential kingmakers in coalition talks.
- Record voter turnout of around 77.7 percent, the highest in decades, powered extraordinary participation among Arab citizens and drove Arab-led parties to their strongest showing. Neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot secured a mandate despite the high engagement, leaving the country in political deadlock.
- Democrats leader Yair Golan urged the opposition to partner with Arab-led parties, saying "We must no longer accept Netanyahu's racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes." Netanyahu dismissed such cooperation as "treasonous," deepening opposition divisions over non-Zionist alliances.
- President Isaac Herzog will begin consultations next week to determine which leader receives the first mandate to form a government. Herzog holds broad discretion under Israeli law to choose the candidate with the best chance of assembling a coalition.
- If coalition talks fail, Israel could face new elections early next year, triggering another political cycle. Herzog aims to prevent a prolonged stalemate, though weeks of difficult negotiations lie ahead as both camps seek viable coalition arrangements.
273 Articles
273 Articles
Arab Israeli parties emerge as wild card in elections
Israel’s 2026 parliamentary elections are set to amount to political deadlock, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor Gadi Eisenkot getting enough votes to form a government. One clear winner did emerge, however, with enough votes to decisively influence the outcome: Israeli Arabs. The latest results, as of 8:30 p.m. local time, give Ra’am and […]
Palestinian citizens in Israel seem to be about to obtain a record number of seats in parliament and could become decisive factors in the formation of the government, after a strong presence at the vote in the Tuesday elections, stimulated by what they describe as the racist policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, writes Reuters. However, although they could have contributed to preventing a categorical victory of Netanyahu an…
After the ballot, it is unclear who will lead the government in the future. Challenger Eisenkot would need the help of Arab lists.
The leader of Israel's opposition group United List, Yousef Jabarin, said his party was ready to support an alternative government to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He specified that the formation will not participate in a coalition, but could provide support from outside. “We do not see how we could participate in a coalition under the current circumstances,” Jabarin was quoted as saying by France Press. According to him, the position …
The Israeli Head of State is not obliged to appoint the candidate who obtained the most votes after the vote count on Tuesday, 27 October. He must choose the candidate who is best able to obtain a vote of confidence in Parliament.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 37% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
