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Israel’s Arab parties could end Netanyahu’s rule — if his opposition lets them
Israel’s election has left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opponents with a potential path to form a government, but it may depend on whether Jewish-led parties work with Arab parties. That choice could make Arab citizens’ votes more consequential in national politics and shape the next government.
Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious coalition fell from 64 of 120 Knesset seats in 2022 to 53, while parties opposing him won 67. Ra’am and the Joint List took 19 opposition seats after Arab citizens voted in record numbers, up from 10 seats for Arab parties after the previous election. Arab voters were mobilised in part by crime in Arab towns, while opposition leaders have faced pressure from voters and concern about Jewish public opposition to an Arab-Jewish governing alliance.
In short
- Netanyahu’s bloc fell to 53 seats, short of a majority.
- Arab parties won a record 19 seats after turnout surged.
- Opposition leaders must decide whether to work with them.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Jewish-led opposition parties could argue that working with Arab parties reflects the election result and gives Arab citizens’ votes a meaningful role in national decisions. Cooperation could also help build a government able to address crime in Arab towns and make shared civic interests part of its programme.
The case against
They could argue that relying on Arab parties may make a coalition harder to sustain, particularly if its members differ on key national or security questions. Leaders may also judge that an alliance opposed by some Jewish voters could weaken public confidence in the government and cost them support.
Explained simply
Israel is a parliamentary democracy, where voters elect a 120-member parliament called the Knesset. A government must command the support of a majority of its members, usually through an agreement among several parties, and the prime minister leads that government.
Benjamin Netanyahu leads the Likud party and has governed with right-wing and religious allies. Arab citizens of Israel make up about a fifth of the population and vote for parties including Ra’am and the Joint List, which represent different political groups and priorities.
Arab parties have sometimes supported governments from outside a governing coalition, but joining one can be politically contentious. The question of whether Jewish-led opposition parties will work with them matters because it could affect which parties can secure a Knesset majority and how Arab citizens’ concerns, including crime in Arab towns, are addressed.
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