Arab parties become kingmakers in deadlocked Israeli election

Overview

Updated 2 hours ago

Arab-led parties won 19 seats in Israel’s 120-seat Knesset, nearly double their previous 10, after roughly 80% of eligible Palestinian citizens voted. Neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor challenger Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc reached the 61 seats needed to govern.

Both blocs campaigned against relying on Arab parties. That promise now collides with arithmetic: without those 19 seats, neither side can form a majority without defectors or another election.

Why it matters

The result gives Israel’s Arab citizens leverage over who governs, after years in which their parties were treated as outside the coalition market.

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Key Indicators

Knesset seats won by Arab-led parties

Nearly double the 10 seats Arab parties held before the election.

Seats needed for a Knesset majority

The threshold neither major bloc reached.

80%

Turnout among eligible Palestinian citizens

About 760,000 votes, described as a record surge.

Seats in Netanyahu’s bloc

Likud won 27 seats; its right-wing and ultra-Orthodox allies won the rest.

Seats in Eisenkot’s bloc

The opposition bloc fell short of a majority without Arab support.

21%

Arab share of Israel’s population

Palestinian citizens of Israel are a minority with growing electoral weight.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Benjamin Netanyahu

Prime Minister of Israel and Likud leader

His bloc won 53 seats and lost the Knesset majority it held before the election.

Gadi Eisenkot

Former military chief and leader of the main opposition bloc

His bloc won 48 seats and says the results are a vote for change.

Mansour Abbas

Head of the United Arab List, or Ra’am

His party is part of the 19-seat Arab-led bloc and welcomed a probe into election irregularities.

Yousef Jabareen

Leader of the Joint List

Says the Joint List is extending a hand to the opposition to bring down Netanyahu.

Ranya Farhat

Schoolteacher and first-time voter

Voted for the first time as Arab turnout surged.

Amir Badran

Member of Hadash, now part of the Joint List

Describes the deadlock as political checkmate for Arab parties.

Amnon Be’eri-Sulitzeanu

Co-executive director of the Abraham Initiatives

Says Arab voters showed a clear eagerness for civic and political engagement.

Organizations Involved

Likud

Political party

Won 27 seats and leads the 53-seat Netanyahu bloc.

Israel’s main right-wing party, led by Netanyahu.

Joint List (Hadash, Ta'al, Balad)

Arab-majority political alliance

Part of the 19-seat Arab-led bloc; open to supporting an anti-Netanyahu government.

One of the two main Arab-led parties in the Knesset.

United Arab List (Ra'am)

Political party

Part of the 19-seat Arab-led bloc; recruited a Jewish Zionist as its number two candidate.

An Arab party with roots in the Islamic Movement, led by Mansour Abbas.

Abraham Initiatives

Non-governmental organization

Comments on Arab turnout and political engagement.

An NGO that engages with Arab communities in Israel.

Timeline

5 events Latest: Today

Tap a bar to jump to that date

October 2026
Final tally confirms Arab parties as kingmakers
Today Results

The count left Arab-led parties holding the balance in the 120-seat Knesset.
Today
Netanyahu camp alleges election irregularities
Today Contest

His allies called for investigations and alleged foreign interference as Arab turnout surged.
Today
Neither bloc reaches 61 seats
Coalition talks

Netanyahu’s bloc stood at 53, Eisenkot’s at 48, and Arab parties at 19.
Yesterday
Arab-led parties projected at 19 seats
Results

Partial counts showed Arab parties nearly doubling their previous 10 seats.
3 days ago
Israelis vote in deadlocked election
Election

Turnout among Palestinian citizens reached about 80%, or nearly 760,000 votes.
4 days ago

Scenarios

Eisenkot forms a minority government backed by Arab parties from outside

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: NPR and ABC News

Eisenkot’s 48-seat bloc plus the 19 Arab-led seats would command more than 67 seats. The Arab parties could support a minority government without joining it. The obstacle is Eisenkot’s repeated promise not to rely on Arab parties over their positions on Hamas and Gaza.

Netanyahu stays in power by peeling away defectors

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: NPR and Bloomberg

Netanyahu’s bloc has 53 seats and would need about eight lawmakers from outside his camp to reach 61. That would require persuading members of Eisenkot’s bloc or Arab-led parties to defect. No such movement has been confirmed.

Israel returns to the polls after coalition talks fail

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: NPR and Lianhe Zaobao

If no candidate can assemble a majority, the president can give another candidate a chance. If that fails, another election remains possible. Netanyahu may believe a repeat vote would lower Arab turnout and help his bloc.

An Arab party joins the governing coalition directly

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: CBC News

The Arab parties could seek cabinet seats rather than outside support. That would break with the campaign promises of Eisenkot and other Jewish parties, who ruled out sitting with Arab parties. Ra’am’s 2021 coalition role is the closest precedent.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

June 2021

Israel’s 2021 coalition

Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid formed a government that included Ra’am, making Mansour Abbas the first Arab party leader to join an Israeli coalition. The coalition collapsed in June 2022 after defections.

Then

Ra’am gained leverage and secured budgets for Arab communities.

Now

It showed Arab parties could govern but did not end their structural exclusion from most coalitions.

Why this matters now

Today’s 19-seat bloc tests whether that model can be repeated or expanded under deadlock.

March 2015

Israel’s 2015 election

The Joint List won 13 seats after Arab turnout rose, but no Zionist party invited it into government. Netanyahu formed a right-wing coalition instead.

Then

Arab parties gained seats but stayed outside the government.

Now

High turnout did not convert into coalition influence.

Why this matters now

The 2026 result nearly doubles that seat count and arrives in a deadlock, making outside support harder to dismiss.