By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Israeli election results show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition lost its parliamentary majority, giving the opposition a clear edge. Yet most Jewish opposition parties refuse to form a government with Palestinian-led factions, a stance rooted in a campaign that portrayed Palestinian citizens as enemies.
Opposition majority blocked by self-imposed barrier
The refusal to partner with Arab parties creates what analysts call a confected barrier to unseating Netanyahu. If it holds, he could turn defeat into another term as caretaker prime minister or force a new election.
Calls for Jewish-Arab partnership
Yair Golan, leader of the centre-left Democrats, declared Netanyahu lost and urged a coalition with Palestinian citizens, who make up about 20% of the population. A poll on election day found a majority of opposition voters supported including the Islamist Ra'am party to oust Netanyahu.
Opposition leaders hesitate
Former general Gadi Eisenkot, head of the largest opposition party, has not explicitly ruled out governing with Palestinians but set conditions that make their entry politically impossible. Other opposition figures remained silent as they weighed their pledges against the desire to remove Netanyahu.
Palestinian parties ready for change
Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen said his alliance is prepared to pave the way for Netanyahu's ouster through Jewish-Arab partnership. Ra'am placed a Jewish former police chief second on its slate, signaling willingness to cooperate.
Netanyahu's racist campaign strategy
Netanyahu centered his campaign on the slogan "The right or Palestine," framing a fifth of the electorate as an internal enemy. Critics said the tactic aimed to boost his base and complicate post-election negotiations for rivals.
Deepening divisions
Many Israelis viewed the vote as existential for democracy within pre-1967 borders and for a state inquiry into the 7 October attacks. Palestinian citizens turned out in record numbers amid rising crime, discrimination, home demolitions, and war in Gaza. The outcome may force a choice between a Jewish future and a democratic one.
