Following elections held on Tuesday, the Joint List, the primary Palestinian coalition in Israel, emerged as a pivotal force in the political landscape. The party’s leader, Yousef Jabareen, characterized the election results as presenting a historic opportunity for the country to shift its political trajectory. Arab Israeli voter turnout reached approximately 80%, more than double the previous level, fundamentally altering the composition and dynamics of the Knesset.
The electoral outcome produced a fragmented parliament with no single faction holding a clear majority. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition lost its parliamentary majority, declining from 68 to 53 seats in the 120-seat chamber. The Change bloc, led by retired general Gadi Eisenkot, secured 48 seats, while Arab-Israeli parties collectively hold a record 19 seats—11 for the Joint List and 8 for the more conservative Ra’am party. This configuration positions the Arab-Israeli representatives as essential partners in any governing coalition.
Jabareen articulated the Joint List’s priorities, emphasizing the urgent need to remove the current government and its most right-wing members, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. He characterized the outgoing government’s tenure as damaging to Palestinian Israelis across multiple dimensions, citing inadequate resource allocation, police misconduct, systemic racism, and housing demolitions. The opposition coalition encompassing the Change bloc and Arab-Israeli parties commands 67 votes against Netanyahu, providing a numerical foundation for alternative governance.
While the Joint List expressed willingness to support an opposition government from outside the coalition rather than participate directly, conditions imposed by Eisenkot on Arab participation remained contentious. The Change bloc leader required any Arab partner to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, accept military conscription, and designate Hamas as a terrorist organization. Jabareen indicated the Joint List would not join an Eisenkot-led coalition due to the ongoing occupation of the West Bank, though it could provide tactical parliamentary support.
Jabareen emphasized that substantive policy shifts would be necessary to secure Arab support, including addressing systemic discrimination, halting military operations in Palestinian territories, and resuming negotiations with Palestinian leadership. He also expressed concerns about potential obstacles to the political transition, citing Netanyahu’s unsubstantiated allegations regarding foreign financing of Arab campaigns and the possibility of conflict escalation as delaying tactics.
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