Arab Parties Hold Key to Ousting Netanyahu After Election — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Netanyahu’s far-right bloc lost 11 seats in Israel’s election, securing 53 Knesset seats—eight short of a majority, according to early results with 86% of ballots counted.
- Arab parties won a record 19 seats on unprecedented turnout from Palestinian citizens of Israel, who mobilized against state persecution and violence in Gaza and the West Bank.
- Mansour Abbas signaled willingness to help bring down Netanyahu, saying his priority was removing Netanyahu, Smotrich, and Ben-Gvir, though his Ra’am party holds only seven seats.
- Ahmad Tibi offered the Joint List’s support to oust Netanyahu but demanded action on Arab community crime, home demolitions, and racist incitement, framing the choice as 'Bibi or Tibi'.
- Gadi Eisenkot ruled out coalition talks with Arab parties unless they recognize Israel as a Jewish state, accept conscription for Palestinian citizens, and denounce Hamas as a terrorist organization.
- Yair Golan urged Eisenkot to embrace Arab parties, warning that rejecting their support means surrendering to Netanyahu and perpetuating racism in Israeli politics.
- Eitan Tzelgov framed the moment as a binary choice: govern with Arab parties or with Netanyahu, noting that a split in the opposition could lead to a unity government that excludes Arabs entirely.
Why it matters: The Arab parties’ record 19 seats give them pivotal leverage in government formation, forcing Jewish opposition leaders to choose between breaking a taboo on Arab inclusion or preserving Netanyahu’s influence. If Eisenkot’s bloc rejects partnership, Netanyahu could remain in power despite losing ground—undermining claims of democratic change.
Ask SkimNews
