Arab parties emerge as potential kingmakers after inconclusive Israeli election

Arab-led parties emerged with potentially decisive leverage after Israel’s election left both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc and the main opposition short of the 61 seats needed to govern.

With 85% of ballots counted, the Central Elections Committee had Netanyahu’s bloc on at least 53 seats and the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot on 48, Al Jazeera reported. Arab parties were projected to win a record 19 seats. Although opposition leaders have generally resisted forming a government with them, Democrats leader Yair Golan said Ra’am, led by Mansour Abbas, could join a coalition. Golan described an anti-Netanyahu bloc of 67 seats when Arab-led parties were included.

Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh accused Israel’s principal political leaders of racism for treating Arab representatives as illegitimate coalition partners. He said the parties’ first commitment was to prevent Netanyahu and far-right allies Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir from returning to power.

Netanyahu’s Likud party, meanwhile, alleged bribery, intimidation and forgery in Arab communities and called for an investigation, according to The Hill and The Guardian. Likud said no Zionist party should cooperate with Ra’am or the Joint List.

Eisenkot accused Netanyahu and Likud of trying to delegitimize the election result, while saying any suspected wrongdoing should be investigated impartially. The Guardian reported that election officials and police said there appeared to be no basis for claims of widespread irregularities. Israel’s president also criticized rhetoric that he said tarnished an entire community.