Israel Election: Arab Votes Meet Coalition Gatekeeping

Israel's Central Elections Committee approved the results of the Oct. 27 election after investigating complaints and finding no evidence of irregularities that compromised the vote. Netanyahu's supporters had claimed, without substantiation, that Arab-led parties "stolen" the election, possibly with foreign assistance. The committee's answer was plain: it found no evidence to question the results' integrity.

President Isaac Herzog has accepted the certified results and begun consultations with party leaders. No bloc holds a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, leaving the next government to be assembled through bargaining among party leaders—and leaving the political standing of Arab voters under attack even as their seats become central to that bargaining.

The arithmetic of power

Netanyahu's coalition won 53 seats; opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's bloc won 48. Ra'am and the Joint List, the Arab-led parties, secured a record 19 seats together. Ra'am said it would recommend Eisenkot to form the next government, bringing his expected support to 56 lawmakers, according to Ynet. The Joint List hadn't announced its position. Channel 12 reported it was expected to coordinate with Eisenkot, endorsing him if asked or abstaining if he preferred. Its 11 seats could take him past the 61 needed for a majority.

The numbers make Arab-led parties consequential in the negotiations. They also make them targets. Itamar Ben-Gvir, described as the ultranationalist national security minister, said his party didn't accept the results and called for the arrest of Arab-Israeli party leaders. Several Israeli media outlets reported that authorities were investigating Arab lawmaker Ayman Odeh over alleged foreign funding. The Joint List called the investigation "political persecution."

Herzog said he had "great respect" for Israel's Palestinian minority, which makes up about 20% of the population. He condemned "the coarseness and racist expressions that we have heard recently," saying, "There is no place for them (to be made) toward any community in Israel." The contrast is sitting in the same political process: Arab parties are courted for votes while their participation is publicly questioned.

Promises, investigations, and coalition deals

The committee audited 9,069 polling stations and found no evidence that would question the results' integrity. It approved the results with 15 members in favor and two against, while 14 abstained. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara rejected a request to question elected officials without supporting evidence. Netanyahu, meanwhile, said there were "serious suspicions that foreign states have spent considerable sums to influence the outcome of the elections in Israel." The committee's findings did not support the allegation.

Herzog urged the parties to compromise, saying, "The elections are over. Now is the time to face reality." He asked them to accept that "not every commitment and promise can be fulfilled" and to avoid another election. He'll select the candidate he considers best placed to assemble a coalition, almost certainly Netanyahu or Eisenkot. The nominee will have 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension; if neither succeeds, another election would be held early next year.

Netanyahu says he wants a broader coalition but will keep his far-right and ultra-Orthodox alliances and join only a government he leads. Eisenkot has promised "as broad a Zionist government as possible," grounded in recognizing Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, mandatory service for all, and the need to destroy Hamas. He hasn't ruled in or ruled out a government with Likud, and didn't mention Netanyahu.

Eisenkot also pledged to strengthen ties with Washington and said he would work with U.S. President Donald Trump to stabilize the Middle East. His promise of "new leadership to Israel, leadership that serves all Israelis" arrives alongside his stated commitment to a Jewish and democratic Israel. The available choices remain competing coalitions seeking authority over the same parliament and population.

Unity, on leaders' terms

Calls for a unity government came from several quarters. Eyal Eshel, whose daughter Roni was killed by Hamas at Nachal Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, told Channel 12: "I am saying this in total supplication. Leave the ego behind already. Everyone. All the candidates. All the party chiefs. Sit down together." Former defense minister Yoav Gallant and Dimona Mayor Benny Biton also called for broad unity.

Herzog's office said he sought to hear every faction and explore "every path that may advance the process." But the negotiations are still being conducted by party chiefs, around coalition commitments and the question of who gets to govern. The election has settled the count. It hasn't settled who will assemble the apparatus of government, or whether Arab representation will be treated as legitimate when it affects the result.