Key facts
- Arab parties are projected to win approximately 19 seats in the 120-seat Israeli parliament.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition bloc is projected to win 53 seats, falling short of a majority.
- Gadi Eisenkot's bloc is expected to win 48 seats.
- The Joint List, led by Yousef Jabareen, is projected to win 12 seats.
- Ra'am party leader Mansour Abbas indicated a willingness to join an Eisenkot-led government.
Israel's Palestinian citizens are poised to achieve a record number of parliamentary seats following strong turnout in Tuesday's election, driven by opposition to what they describe as racist policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. The two main Arab parties are projected to win around 19 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Netanyahu's coalition bloc is on track for 53 seats, falling short of the 61 needed for a majority, while Gadi Eisenkot's grouping is expected to win 48 seats.
Yousef Jabareen, leader of the Joint List, stated his party would seek to use its projected 12 seats to help remove Netanyahu's government, though he indicated they would not join an Eisenkot-led government due to its support for the Gaza campaign and occupation of southern Lebanon. However, he left open the possibility of bolstering Eisenkot's bloc from the outside to support a minority government. Jabareen emphasized priorities such as protecting the Arab community, advancing their rights, promoting equality, tackling crime, boosting funding, and reopening peace talks for a Palestinian state.
Mansour Abbas, leader of the second main Arab party, Ra'am, expressed optimism about forming a government with the Eisenkot bloc, noting that senior members of Eisenkot's group had discussed a potential deal before the election. Abbas had previously joined an Israeli coalition in 2021, but that government collapsed. Eisenkot, however, had ruled out forming a government with Arab parties during the campaign, citing a lack of shared values, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. Political sociologist Ameer Fakhoury noted that while Arab votes might block Netanyahu and enable an alternative government, a paradox exists where the Jewish opposition may need Palestinian votes without accepting Palestinian partners.