Netanyahu’s Likud party and its far-right allies made final efforts on Tuesday to mobilize supporters, warning of high turnout in Arab communities. Netanyahu described the prospect of forming a government with Arab parties as “a disgrace and a shame.” In social media posts, he highlighted queues at polling stations in Arab communities, stating, “If we don’t wake up now, we’ll find ourselves with a government of Mansour Abbas and Ahmad Tibi.”
Arab politicians rejected Netanyahu’s rhetoric, denouncing it as racist and inflammatory. Mansour Abbas, leader of the Ra’am party, told Israel’s Channel 12 that the current numbers mean “there is no government,” as neither bloc has secured the 61 seats required to form a coalition. Abbas noted that both the Netanyahu and Eisenkot blocs had approached his party before and after the election.
Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli ambassador, told Al Jazeera that the opposition bloc may face difficulties in forming a government because it promised during the campaign not to enter coalitions with Arab parties. “There’s a price to pay,” Pinkas said, noting that Arab parties will likely make demands that a Jewish-led coalition may not support.
Early indicators show voter turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel reached approximately 80 percent, breaking records set in 1999. Overall national turnout was also historic, reaching 77.7 percent, the highest since 1999, according to the Central Elections Committee. Palestinian citizens constitute about 21 percent of Israel’s 10 million population.
Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh, reporting from Ramallah, described the election as an “existential moment” for Palestinian-Israelis. She noted that even voters who typically boycott elections participated, driven by a desire to address systemic discrimination, including over 100 laws passed by the Knesset that affect their status and access to state funds.
The deadline for forming a government remains pending, with the President tasked with appointing a candidate who can secure majority support. The final results are expected to confirm whether the projected 51-51 split will hold, leaving the 18 Arab seats as the decisive factor in any potential coalition negotiations.
