Israeli election: Lebanon expects little change in Israeli policy
Palestinian citizens turned out in record numbers as Arab parties gained 19 seats and coalition talks began without a clear majority.
- 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.
113 Articles
113 Articles
The nightmare Israel can no longer ignore: The Arab vote and the future of the Jewish state
What happens when political parties that oppose the Jewish character of the state become indispensable to forming its government? By Jordan Levy, World Israel News The biggest story of Israel’s election is not Benjamin Netanyahu’s political survival, Gadi Eisenkot’s performance, or even the possibility of another parliamentary deadlock. It is the historic surge in the […]
Israeli elections: Despite 'historic' victory, Arab minority left with bitter aftertaste
The result achieved by two Arab-Israeli lists in the elections does not grant them the pivotal role they could have claimed. The opposition bloc to Benjamin Netanyahu, facing difficulties, continues to rule out any alliance.
It puts 19 seats achieved by the Arab lists of Benjamin Netanyahu in the face of the impasse in the formation of the Israeli Government, amid the escalation of its accusations against Arabs, and fears that the electoral results will be used to fuel political polarization.
Arab parties are ready to support Gadi Eisenkot to end Netanyahu's rule. With 19 parliamentary seats, can the opposition form a new government?
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