Nazareth, Israel: Israel’s Palestinian citizens look set to win a record number of seats in parliament after voting in large numbers in Tuesday’s election. Their support could decide who forms the next government, Reuters reported.
Many Arab voters say they were motivated by anger at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which they accuse of racist policies.
But although Arab parties may stop Netanyahu and his far-right allies from winning a majority, Netanyahu’s main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, has so far refused to work with them — even though he may need their support.
Early results show the two main Arab parties could win about 19 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, nearly double their current number. Netanyahu’s bloc is expected to win 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s bloc is expected to win 48. A majority requires 61 seats.
Trying To Remove Netanyahu
Yousef Jabareen, leader of the Arab-dominated Joint List, told Reuters his party would use its expected 12 seats “to facilitate getting rid of Netanyahu’s government and hopefully helping to change the political situation in Israel.”
Jabareen said the Joint List would not join a government led by Eisenkot because of its support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and occupation of southern Lebanon.
But he said the party might support Eisenkot from outside, helping a minority government survive votes in parliament.
“We have our demands to protect our community, to advance the rights of our community and to promote equality for our community,” said Jabareen, speaking from his home in the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm.
He said his party’s main goals were reducing crime, improving funding and opportunities for Arab communities, and restarting peace talks for a Palestinian state.
The second main Arab party, Ra’am, is led by Mansour Abbas. He joined Naftali Bennett’s government in 2021, the first time an independent Arab party entered an Israeli coalition. That government ended after 18 months, partly because of disagreements over the occupied West Bank.
This time, Abbas has tried to make Ra’am easier for other parties to work with. He added a Jewish former police official to his party’s list and said he would join a government led by Eisenkot.
Speaking to Israeli television after voting ended on Tuesday night, Ra’am chief Mansour Abbas said: “I believe we can overcome the difficulties … and I think that most voters for the (Eisenkot) bloc do want to see (a) government with the Ra’am party.”
He said senior members of Eisenkot’s bloc had already discussed a possible deal with him before the election.
Eisenkot ruled out working with Arab parties during the campaign. He said they did not share enough values, including recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
After exit polls were released on Tuesday night, Eisenkot told supporters he would try to form a “stable Zionist government that serves all Israeli citizens.”
Ameer Fakhoury, a political sociologist at Jerusalem’s Van Leer Institute, said Arab votes could block Netanyahu and make another government possible.
“But arithmetic is not legitimacy. The Jewish opposition may need Palestinian votes while refusing Palestinian partners. That is the central paradox,” he said.
Why Arab Voters Are Angry
Most Arab citizens of Israel are descendants of Palestinians who stayed within Israel’s borders when the country was created in 1948.
During the election campaign, far-right politicians often spoke negatively about Palestinian citizens of Israel and described Arab political participation as a threat to the state.
Before the vote, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich proposed a plan to “Judaize” areas near Nazareth and in southern Israel where many Arabs live. He compared it to Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank.
Pollsters expected high Arab turnout. On election day, Netanyahu, Smotrich and far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir repeatedly said Arabs were voting in large numbers and urged their own supporters to vote too.
Mohamed Abbas, 19, speaking in Nazareth, said he and many young people voted because of what he called rising racism against Arab Palestinian citizens.
“We want equality…we do not want displacement laws or preference given to Jewish people,” Abbas said.
