Arab Parties Hold Key to Ousting Netanyahu After Gains — SkimNews
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- Netanyahu’s far-right bloc lost 11 seats in Israel’s election, securing only 53 of 120 Knesset seats and falling eight short of a majority as of 86% vote count.
- Arab parties won a record 19 seats, driven by unprecedented turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel who mobilized against state persecution and violence in Gaza and the West Bank.
- Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc is projected to win 48 seats and has made ousting Netanyahu a central goal, but cannot form a majority without Arab party support.
- Mansour Abbas signaled willingness to help bring down Netanyahu, repeating his priority to remove Netanyahu, Smotrich, and Ben-Gvir from power, though his Ra’am party holds only seven seats.
- Ahmad Tibi offered the Joint List’s backing for a coalition but demanded concrete concessions, declaring the choice is now 'either Bibi or Tibi' and calling for an end to systemic racism and home demolitions.
- Yair Golan urged Eisenkot to overcome fear and racism, warning that rejecting Arab participation surrenders to Netanyahu’s divisive politics and undermines Israeli democracy.
- Eitan Tzelgov framed the moment as a binary choice: govern with Arab parties or enable Netanyahu’s return, noting that a split in the opposition could lead to collaboration with Netanyahu, a scenario reportedly favored by Donald Trump.
Why it matters: The Arab parties’ record 19 seats give them pivotal leverage in government formation, forcing the Jewish opposition to choose between breaking a years-long taboo on Arab inclusion or risking Netanyahu’s continued rule. This shift could redefine Israeli politics—if the opposition can overcome deep-seated racism and internal divisions.
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