Arab-led parties win record 19 seats in Israel, challenging Netanyahu's government

Palestinian citizens of Israel cast over 800,000 ballots in Tuesday's general election, a 60 percent increase from the 2022 vote. This surge propelled two Arab-led political blocs to a combined total of 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset. The result shatters the previous record of 15 seats held by such parties.

The high turnout reflects a strategic shift among voters who previously boycotted elections. Many residents of Arab communities in the Galilee and the Negev desert viewed the vote as an urgent measure to counter the governing coalition. They cited rising violent crime and incitement from ultra-right allies as primary motivators.

Mazen Ghnaim, the mayor of Sakhnin, described the effort as emergency protection for his constituents. Sakhnin recorded the highest turnout in the country at 87 percent. Ghnaim stated that voters sought to shield their children from attacks in universities and Arab doctors from aggression in hospitals.

In the Bedouin village of Tarabin, where Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party had won majorities in the last two elections, participation nearly doubled. The Ra’am party secured 93 percent of the votes in that municipality. A grassroots campaign focused on door-to-door outreach in Bedouin villages to encourage women to vote.

Mansour Abbas, leader of the Ra’am party, declared that his community is no longer on the margins. His supporters cheered in a wedding hall in Sakhnin as exit polls confirmed the strong performance. The Ra’am party campaigned on crime reduction and investment in Arab communities. It placed a former Jewish police official in second place on its list to signal openness to coalition partners.

The Joint List, a coalition of three parties, took a different stance. Members of this bloc labeled the Israeli military campaign in Gaza a genocide. They compared the occupation of the West Bank to apartheid South Africa. Sami Abou Shehadeh, a party leader, noted that voters faced a choice between two options: one proposing genocide and the other proposing apartheid.

The election result complicates the path for Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu’s main rival. Eisenkot has set conditions for any alliance with Arab-led parties. He requires them to declare Israel a Jewish and democratic state and to label Hamas a terrorist organization that must be dismantled. Abbas recognized Israel as a Jewish state in 2021, but Joint List leaders have questioned if a state can be democratic while privileging one religion.

Tamar Hermann, a principal researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute, observed that Israel is moving away from liberal democracy. She described a shift toward an ethnic democracy where one group holds advantages. The resistance from major Israeli parties to ally with Arab-led groups has historically been based on fears regarding the Jewish character of the state.

Yousef Jabareen, leader of the Joint List, said his bloc has not yet spoken with Eisenkot. He stated that the parties have not agreed on their specific demands but expect protection and equality for Palestinian citizens. Jabareen emphasized the commitment to removing the current government, describing it as fascist. Both blocs have indicated they are open to abstaining in the Knesset presidency vote if it helps Eisenkot secure a majority.

Netanyahu and his allies have intensified anti-Arab rhetoric following the vote. Netanyahu posted on X that forming a government with these parties would lead to the Islamization of Israel. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir urged supporters to vote to keep the country Jewish and Zionist. The unverified claims of foreign bribes for Arab voters added to the charged atmosphere surrounding the election results.