Mansour Abbas

Chanting "There is no change without partnership," protesters gathered outside Eisenkot's Herzliya home, urging cooperation with Arab parties after the opposition fell 13 seats short of a majority.

In addition, 20% preferred holding new elections, while 12% supported a rotation government with Netanyahu. Just 7% favored forming a coalition with the ultra-Orthodox parties.

Arab political power reveals a country more complicated than its slogans, with consequential choices for the parties on both sides of the coalition table.

If no bloc forms a workable government, it could lead to a period of political deadlock and then fresh elections in 2027, with Netanyahu left in charge in the meantime.

Demanding full equality and opposing military occupation should not place anyone outside legitimate political life. Arab citizens have the same right as Jewish citizens to elect representatives.

I support the decision to disqualify Ra’am from the upcoming election. I also believe that disqualifying a political party and denying citizens the ability to vote for it is bad for democracy.

Ra’am, the Joint List, Balad and two candidates asked the Central Elections Committee to reject six petitions seeking to bar them from the 2026 Knesset election.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, chairman of Otzma Yehudit, stated that Ra'am and Abbas were "wolves in sheep's clothing," and called them "Hamas-supporting terrorists."

The former senior police commander will run second on Ra’am’s slate and join its parliamentary faction rather than become a formal party member.

Likud is sliding, Eisenkot is surging, and the right is splintering. The Deep Dive maps the frantic scramble before Israel's parties lock in their final Knesset lists next week.