85.6% of Votes Counted as Uncertainty Grows over Government Formation in Israel

Israel’s parliamentary election count is nearing completion, with the results pointing to a major shift in the country’s political landscape. With 85.6% of the votes counted, no political bloc has secured the 61 seats needed for a majority in the Knesset. However, the unprecedented performance of the country’s organised Arab parties has emerged as a major development in the election.

According to the latest figures from Israel’s Central Elections Committee, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc has secured 53 seats, while the bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot has won 48. Meanwhile, two Arab-led parties are on course to secure a combined 19 seats, marking an unprecedented result for Arab parties in Israel’s electoral history.

In the 2020 election, Arab parties won a record 15 seats. This time, the Joint List has secured 12 seats, while Mansour Abbas’s Ra’am party has won seven.

Record Turnout in Arab-Majority Areas

Analysts say the surge in turnout among Arab voters reflects a strong desire to remove the outgoing government from power. The government has been described by critics as the most far-right and anti-Arab in Israel’s history.

Voter turnout rose sharply in major Arab towns:

• Nazareth: 72.2%, up from 48.29% in 2022
• Rahat: 82%, up from 60.61% in 2022
• Umm al-Fahm: 75.7%, compared with 38.29% four years ago

Coalition Talks Face Complications

Despite their strong performance, it remains uncertain whether the Arab parties will be directly included in the next government. Mansour Abbas’s Ra’am party has expressed interest in joining the anti-Netanyahu “change bloc”, but several parties within the bloc have ruled out forming a government with an Arab party on ideological grounds.

The Joint List, which represents a Palestinian nationalist political orientation, has indicated that it may take a strategic position without directly joining the government. It could help the opposition remove Netanyahu from power by abstaining from votes or supporting the bloc from outside the government.

As the results became clearer, senior Joint List leader Ahmad Tibi posted a widely discussed remark on social media: “Either Bibi (Netanyahu) or Tibi.”

With neither of the two main blocs securing a majority after 85.6% of the votes had been counted, the political deadlock is unlikely to be resolved until the counting of double-envelope and other special ballots is completed.

Source: The Times of Israel