Ex-Israeli Diplomat Calls Opposition's Refusal to Work with Arab Parties 'Reckless'
Alon Pinkas says opposition leaders risk wasting a chance to build a majority as Arab parties win a record 19 seats.
- With 85 percent of the vote counted, Israel's Central Elections Committee reports Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc holds at least 53 seats, while opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's bloc has 48; both fall short of the 61 seats required to govern.
- Arab parties are on course for a record 19 seats, providing potential leverage over the main blocs. Sami Abu Shehadeh, leader of Balad, said the community's primary promise to voters is to prevent "this gang of criminals" from returning to power.
- Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Eisenkot have rejected working with Arab-led parties, a stance Abu Shehadeh characterized as "racism," arguing that Palestinian citizens are treated as "illegitimate partners" despite their participation.
- Alon Pinkas, an Israeli political analyst and former diplomat, called the opposition's reluctance to engage Arab-led parties "myopic and reckless," attributing rising support for these parties to increasing crime rates in Arab communities.
- While Eisenkot's bloc could mathematically join forces with Arab parties, former Israeli ambassador Danny Ayalon told Al Jazeera it would require "political wizardry." Netanyahu called the prospect of such a government "a shame and a disgrace.
19 Articles
19 Articles
ANALYSIS. Israel's unprecedented participation by Palestinians is the great surprise of the elections. But no leader of the "block of change" agrees to govern with them, condemning the country to months of negotiationsThe stakes were clear to everyone. The Israeli elections on Tuesday were above all a referendum "for or against" Benyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister who has marked Israel's evolution for almost three decades. However, at that ti…
To form a "Zionist" coalition is not only anti-democratic, but also strategically stupid. Arabs in Israel can no longer be ignored
RECIT - The two Palestinian parties of Israel impose themselves as the third force within the Knesset. King-maker, they are currently confronted with the categorical refusal of Gadi Eisenkot. This favors Benyamin Netanyahu.
El Periódico
Well into the night in Israel, after the polls at the ballot box, Gadi Eisenkot, head of Yashar, made his intentions clear. The candidate preferred by the citizenry to replace Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, declared his desire to “make a reality of the popular will to replace the government and form, as soon as possible, a Zionist executive to mobilize.” The word he chose to adject his potential executive is not casual. On the Israeli politi…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 70% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
