Israel’s Arab parties, which won a record-breaking 19 seats in last week’s general elections, are set to back opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc, further trampling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chances of leading another government. The main Jewish opposition bloc, which includes four parties, fell short of the 61 seats needed to form a majority in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, but joining forces with the two main groups that represent Palestinian citizens of Israel could help avoid a political deadlock and another election. Already, the “Change” opposition bloc has pledged not to join forces with Netanyahu, citing security failures that led to the October 7 Hamas attacks and an ongoing corruption trial that the prime minister faces.
But taking support from the Arab parties — whether as part of the ruling coalition or as outside support — also poses a challenge for Eisenkot from the right, at a time when leaders and parties, including Netanyahu, have been openly deploying anti-Arab racism to woo Jewish voters. Israel’s minority Arab population has long been marginalised in politics. Since October 7, however, they have been sidelined even more.
At least two former Palestinian legislators, and one current member of the Knesset, have been arrested briefly for comments or acts deemed critical of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its occupation of the West Bank. As the parties weigh possible paths to power, it’s likely they’ll have to make compromises and break promises made to their supporters, analysts say. A coalition of Jewish conservative and far-right parties led by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud won 53 seats in a Knesset of 120 seats, falling short of a majority.
The opposition bloc, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar party, won 48 seats — even further away from a majority. Meanwhile, the Arab-led Joint List and Ra’am won more seats than ever after Arab voters doubled their turnout to about 80 percent. Ra’am, led by Mansour Abbas, won eight seats, while the Joint List, led by Yousef Jabareen, won 11.
While the Arab bloc has been open to working with the opposition, there were speculations that Eisenkot would refuse their support to avoid backlash from the wider Jewish Israeli public. Arabs make up a fifth of the population of Israel. Only one Arab party, Ra’am, has successfully joined a governing coalition – in 2021.
That government lasted less than two years. Eisenkot and other opposition leaders had earlier said they would not form a coalition with Arab parties to appeal to their supporters. Netanyahu has claimed repeatedly and without proof that Arab parties committed fraud during the elections with foreign backing.
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