Arab parties may decide whether either Israeli election bloc can govern

Arab Israeli parties could hold the balance of power after next week’s closely fought election, as polls suggest neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition nor the main anti-Netanyahu bloc has a clear route to a parliamentary majority. Their potential influence matters because opposition leaders have largely ruled out governing with Arab parties, while Arab voters are being urged to turn out to help remove what campaigners describe as an extremist government.

Arab Israelis make up about a fifth of Israel’s population, but disaffection has often kept turnout low. The article describes heightened mistrust since the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led assault and the subsequent Gaza war, including reported restrictions on speech, job losses, budget cuts and attacks; the government says cuts are needed for wartime spending. Netanyahu’s campaign has portrayed cooperation with Arab parties as dangerous, while far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has vowed to “Judaise” areas where many Arab citizens live.