Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has continued his incitement against Arab parties that achieved historic gains in the Knesset elections, amid concerns that they might support the formation of an alternative government one that would oust him and relegate him to the opposition.
In a post on the platform X, Netanyahu stated, referring to the Arab parties: “It is forbidden to form a government with them.”
Netanyahu’s stance comes in the wake of election results that denied his camp a parliamentary majority, while the opposition with the support of Arab lawmakers could potentially form an alternative government.
On Thursday, Netanyahu and his Likud party launched a broad campaign casting doubt on the votes cast by Arab citizens, following results that showed an increase in their representation in the Knesset.
Without providing evidence, Netanyahu alleged that the record gains made by Arab parties in this week’s elections were partly the result of electoral fraud—a charge rejected by Arab leaders, who accused Netanyahu of incitement.
Historic Representation
Preliminary election results indicate that the Joint List and the United Arab List have secured 19 out of the 120 seats in the Knesset. This marks the highest number of seats ever held by Arab parties in the history of the Israeli parliament, surpassing the previous record of 15 seats set in the 2020 elections.
This advancement for the Arab parties comes at a time when Netanyahu’s camp has failed to secure the majority required to form a government.
According to the preliminary results, Netanyahu’s camp holds 53 seats, compared to 48 for the opposition camp and 19 for the Arab lists. Forming a government requires the support of at least 61 members of parliament. Parliamentary calculations indicate that opposition parties and Arab parties hold a combined total of 67 seats—a majority theoretically sufficient to form an alternative government.
Pressure on Rival Eisenkot
Analysts and critics suggest that by intensifying his attacks on Arab parties, Netanyahu may be attempting to dissuade his primary rival, Gadi Eisenkot, from considering the formation of a minority government supported by Arab factions—a scenario that, if realized, could oust Netanyahu from power.
Arab parties have signaled an openness to assisting the Jewish opposition in forming an alternative government, though this does not necessarily imply their participation in the governing coalition itself.
However, some opposition parties refuse to cooperate with Arab lawmakers, creating obstacles to translating this potential parliamentary majority into an actual government.
Next Steps
Next week, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is set to begin consultations with the parties that won seats in the election to determine which member of the Knesset will be tasked with forming the new government. The final election results are expected to be announced on November 4.
Source: Israeli media