Arab-led blocs seize pivotal role in deadlocked Israel vote
A surge in turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel helped push the country toward a new government after no party reached the 61-seat majority threshold.
By Samuel Hayes ·
Palestinian citizens of Israel cast ballots in record numbers last month, helping to strip Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition of its governing majority. The turnout surge allowed Arab-led parties to win 19 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, giving them a decisive role in the upcoming government formation talks.
Jamal Zahalka, chairman of the High Follow-Up Committee, described the result as a historical achievement. He stated that the community had found its strength and successfully blocked the continuation of Netanyahu’s government. The election left both Netanyahu’s coalition and the challenge of Gadi Eisenkot’s center-right opposition without the 61 seats required to form a government independently.
The Central Elections Committee reported a 64% increase in votes for Arab-led parties compared to the previous election. This gain has intensified tensions regarding the definition of Israel’s identity and the status of its Palestinian minority, who currently make up about 20% of the population.
Netanyahu and his allies framed the high Arab turnout as an emergency. On election day, Netanyahu posted a video describing the situation in those terms, while Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right national security minister, urged voters to support parties that would preserve the country’s Jewish character. The Likud party claimed Arab parties had stolen the election through bribery and forgery, although police and election officials have found no widespread fraud.
Eisenkot faces a difficult path to power. His center-right bloc requires the support of Arab parties to reach a majority, but an alliance with them is politically risky for his right-wing allies. Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff, is known for his hawkish stance, including the formulation of the Dahiyeh doctrine in 2008, which advocated for disproportionate force against militant areas.
Arab parties remain divided on how to proceed. Ra'am, a socially conservative Islamist party, campaigned for a governing coalition and placed a Jewish former police official second on its list. The Joint List alliance, which won 11 of the 19 seats, has said it will not formally join Eisenkot’s government due to the ongoing war in Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank, though it may support the government from the outside.
President Isaac Herzog is consulting with parties to determine which candidate to mandate for coalition formation. He is expected to announce his decision next week. The designated candidate will have 28 days to form a government, with the option of a two-week extension. If that fails, a second candidate will have only 28 days without an extension, or the country will return to the polls next year.
In Kufr Qasim, a Palestinian-majority town, residents linked their high turnout to a desire to secure basic rights amid rising discrimination. Intisar Sarsur, 65, said her community is seeking freedom and human rights. She noted that the recent olive harvest, traditionally a time of joy, felt bittersweet due to attacks by settlers in the occupied West Bank during the season.
