Arab parties were on course to win a record 19 seats in Israel’s parliament, Al Jazeera reported, potentially giving them leverage in government formation as opposition leaders reject a coalition with them.
Israel’s Central Elections Committee count, with 85% of votes tallied, put Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc at 53 seats or more and the opposition led by opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot at 48. At the time of the count, neither bloc had enough seats to reach the 61-seat threshold for a majority.
Nour Odeh, an Al Jazeera correspondent reporting from Ramallah, said the opposition’s preference for a Zionist government underlies Eisenkot and his allies’ refusal to partner with Arab parties.
Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh called the exclusion “racism” in comments to Al Jazeera. He argued that strong turnout among Palestinian citizens, who are about one-fifth of Israel’s population, should bring recognition for their elected representatives as political partners. Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen said the alliance’s “hands are extended” to oust Netanyahu.
Balad is one of three parties in the Joint List. EconoTimes previously covered the alliance’s post-election outreach in its report on the cooperation signal.
