Arabs gain Knesset seats

Israel’s Arab-led parties are on track to win a record number of seats in Tuesday’s election.

Exit polls indicate the Joint List and Ra’am could hold a combined 17 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. Daniel Shek, a former Israeli ambassador, called this the most important phenomenon of the election. He stated that Israeli politics can no longer disregard such a large portion of the electorate.

The path to this result began with a fragmented race. Partial results place Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc at 54 seats. The opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot holds 49 seats. Neither group has reached the 61-seat majority required to govern. This deadlock places the Arab parties in a position of potential influence, although observers question whether they can actually form a coalition.

Analysts argue that political barriers remain despite the numbers. Honaida Ghanam, director general of the Palestinian Forum for Israeli Studies, described a political veto rooted in what she called a racist structure. She noted that many Israeli parties resist forming a government with Arab-led lists. Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot have cited a lack of shared values to justify excluding Arab partners.

Mathematical projections show a clear path for the opposition. According to The Times of Israel, an alliance between Eisenkot’s bloc and Arab parties would yield 66 seats. Ahmed Najar, a Palestinian political analyst, labeled the opposition’s refusal to join forces as purely ideological. He said Eisenkot imposed loyalty tests on Arab parties while their support became indispensable for the electoral arithmetic.

Leaders of the Arab parties are moving to close the gap. Yousef Jabareen, leader of the Joint List, told the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper that his party is prepared to take responsibility for bringing down Netanyahu’s coalition. He claimed the current government has made the lives of every Arab citizen miserable. Ahmad Tibi, another Joint List leader, said the bloc was extending its hand to the opposition alliance on Wednesday.

Mansour Abbas, leader of Ra’am, has shown willingness to join Eisenkot’s government under specific conditions. Abbas wants internal security matters handled by his party. He appointed Jewish lawmaker Yoav Segalovitz to the second spot on Ra’am’s electoral slate. Omar Shaban, director of Palthink for Strategic Studies, noted this move signals readiness for collaboration.

Netanyahu rejected the possibility of such a partnership on Tuesday. He told supporters that a coalition with Arab-led parties would be a shame and a disgrace. He described it as forbidden to endanger Israel by relying on anti-Zionist Arab parties. Naftali Bennett, who leads the third-place bloc, has also reversed his past stance. He now wants to exclude Arab parties and only accept Zionist parties in government.

Eisenkot has set terms for any partnership. He said he would consider working with parties that recognize Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. Partners must also endorse the values of the Declaration of Independence and commit to national service for all Israelis. The Times of Israel reported that Eisenkot has not stated whether Ra’am meets these criteria.

Precedent exists for this type of alliance. Ra’am supported the Bennett-Lapid government after the 2021 elections. Arab parties also supported governments from outside during the Yitzhak Rabin era. Najar stated that the obstacle is neither constitutional nor practical but ideological.

Ghanam outlined four possible outcomes for the coming days. She listed another election, a minority government supported from outside by Arab parties, defections to Netanyahu’s bloc, or a national unity government. She noted that the resilience of Netanyahu’s camp proved deeply entrenched and cohesive beyond the simple seat count.

Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, urged his allies to change their approach. He wrote on X that the opposition must no longer accept a division between Jewish and Arab votes. He criticized the system for treating Palestinian representatives as illegitimate when they seek governing power.