Israel Election: Arab Parties Hold Keys to Knesset Majority

Ballot counting continued through the night after Israelis cast votes in record numbers on October 27, 2026.

No front-runner has secured the 61 parliamentary seats required for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot are stuck in a stalemate. The only viable path to power for either side involves joining forces with Arab parties. This option remains politically difficult for many Jewish voters.

Arab turnout reached 80 percent in their communities, giving the Joint List and Ra'am substantial leverage. Yousef Jabareen of the Joint List said his party would accept a genuine alternative to the current government to build a Jewish-Arab partnership. Mansour Abbas of Ra'am rejected a loyalty test, noting that his group condemned the October 7 attacks.

Netanyahu rejected the idea of cooperation with Arab parties. He insisted on forming a strong right-wing national government and claimed leadership of the Zionist public. His current coalition includes hardliners and settlers who favor annexation in the West Bank and Gaza. Critics argue his government has ignored a crime wave in Arab communities.

Eisenkot leads the opposition coalition but has not formally committed to an Arab alliance. Two of his partners, Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman, have flatly rejected the idea. Bennett served in a coalition with Arab lawmakers in 2021, but the October 7 attacks changed the dynamic. Analyst Dhalia Scheindlin called the opposition's reluctance to include Arab parties an arbitrary and racist constraint. A key barrier for Eisenkot is the Arab parties' hesitation to brand Hamas a terror organization.

Hard-line Jewish groups threatened Arab voters, and some arrived at polling stations armed. Netanyahu warned on social media that Arabs would steal the election if his supporters did not vote. Osayadeh Makladeh, a voter in Daliyat Al-Karmel, said the group was demanding change because of the government's performance.

Netanyahu faces corruption trials for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. He has used his position to delay hearings while seeking a presidential pardon. Channel 12 analyst Amit Segal said Netanyahu suffered a major blow and might only salvage a tie by sharing power or facing a new election. President Isaac Herzog will ask the leader with the best chance of forming a lasting majority to govern. If that leader fails, the opponent gets a turn. This process could take months or lead to another vote.