Arab parties set sights on removing Netanyahu as Israel counts last votes

Politicians from Israel's Arab minority set their sights on removing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday as they savoured an election result that increases their presence in parliament.

With most ballots counted, neither Mr Netanyahu nor opposition parties led by former army general Gadi Eisenkot had a majority in the 120-member Knesset.

The two rival camps were hovering around 50 seats each, with the Netanyahu bloc on course to be slightly larger than the Eisenkot group. Arab parties were set to win about 18 seats, compared to 10 at the last election, which could give them a key role.

The indecisive result sets the stage for what could be weeks or months of negotiations to form a government. Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday urged parties to avoid an early second election and enter talks with an “open mind”.

The last votes were expected to be counted by Thursday. Turnout in the election was 77.7 per cent, the highest since 1999.

The chairman of the Joint Arab List, Yousef Jabareen, said the bloc was “ready and prepared to pave the way for the ousting of the Netanyahu government” after it scored the most votes of the Arab parties.

Mr Jabareen called for a “true and equal partnership” between Jewish and Arab Israelis. “Against a government of bloodshed, against a politics of supremacy, racism and exclusion, we offer a completely different alternative,” he said.

Ahmad Tibi, head of the Arab Movement for Change, said the choice was “either Bibi or Tibi”, using Mr Netanyahu's nickname. He said Arab parties were prepared to support an Eisenkot government but would not work with Mr Netanyahu.

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Can Arab parties change the Knesset?

Turnout soared in Arab communities, with some voters who had previously boycotted Israeli elections taking part for the first time. Israeli broadcasters said it could have reached 80 per cent.

A deal to oust Mr Netanyahu would not be easy. Allying with Arab parties would be seen as a politically risky move for Jewish Israeli politicians, at a highly sensitive time in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some ruled out the prospect during the campaign.

One opposition leader, Yair Golan of the centre-left Democrats, did call for an agreement with the Arab parties on Wednesday, saying Mr Netanyahu had lost his majority in the Knesset.

“We have a majority. We have responsibility. And we have an opportunity to form a government of change in partnership with Israel’s Arab citizens. A government that will serve all Israeli citizens,” he said.

Mr Eisenkot did not directly offer a hand to Arab parties but said the Israeli public “has voted for change”.

Arab politicians have played a role in Israel's government before. One party leader, Mansour Abbas, in 2021 became the first Arab minister in an Israeli government. On Wednesday his Ra'am party was forecast to win about seven seats in the Knesset. Even if there is no formal coalition, Arab parties could agree to tolerate a minority government.

But few would count out Mr Netanyahu, who has survived a long series of scandals and political crises to rule Israel for all but 18 months since 2009. His Likud party was set to be the largest single force in the Knesset, suggesting he has retained a base of support despite divisive policies that critics say have worsened Israel's standing in the world.

The prospect of a long post-election interlude has raised fears that Mr Netanyahu will try to use the situation to his advantage, possibly by attacking Iran. The Israeli vote came a week before President Donald Trump similarly faces voters at the US midterms, with fears growing that a new round of fighting could follow the two elections.

Addressing supporters, Mr Eisenkot described the Israeli leader as a prime minister without a mandate. “Netanyahu, do not dare use Israel's security for your political needs,” Mr Eisenkot said.

Mr Netanyahu made security a key theme of the campaign, placing himself as the only candidate with the mettle to face down Israel's foes. Appearing on stage soon after 3am local time, he talked up his relationship with Mr Trump and said the two of them would “remove this threat” of Iran.

Show caption: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed supporters short…

Mr Eisenkot had emerged as the leading opposition candidate during the campaign, supplanting an alliance of former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid that faded in the opinion polls. The former general kept his policies vague, running on a brand of down-to-earth honesty. But most of the main candidates hold belligerent views towards Iran and few are enthusiastic about the idea of a Palestinian state.

The campaign played out against the backdrop of the Iran war and settler violence in the occupied West Bank. Mr Netanyahu is also accused of overseeing war crimes during Israel's campaign in Gaza, something he denies.

Ghazi Al Majdalawi, a Palestinian activist from Gaza, said he saw the Arab participation as a positive development. He said removing Mr Netanyahu from power would bring “some relief”.

“It is true that whoever comes after Netanyahu may not be any better, but at least we would see a different leader and find out what policies he might pursue,” he said.

Another Gaza resident, Akram Abu Hajar, said he hoped the Arab politicians could use their newfound strength to oppose Israeli policies. “What we hope is that our fellow Palestinians inside Israel will do everything they can to form alliances that could bring down Netanyahu‘s government,” he said.

Under Israeli law, the process of forming a government follows a strict sequence of legal windows. Mr Herzog first asks a member of the Knesset to form a coalition, granting them up to 42 days. A second candidate has 28 days if the first fails. If both fail, a final 21-day period allows any member of the Knesset to try to gather 61 supporters. If all that fails, a second election would follow.

Mr Herzog said he would begin consultations with every group after the final results are published next week.

“One thing must be clear, and I said this before the elections too: we must do everything we can, certainly after yesterday, to avoid another round of elections. So I expect everyone who comes here to come with an open mind,” he said.

Israeli markets weakened on Wednesday after the inconclusive result. The shekel fell about 2 per cent against the dollar, one of the steepest currency declines globally. The Tel Aviv stock index, which was closed on Tuesday, fell about 3 per cent and was on track for its biggest decline since June.

There is a recent history of political deadlock in Israel. Between 2019 and 2022, the country held five elections as parties repeatedly struggled to form stable governments. The coalition ultimately formed by Mr Netanyahu was seen as the most right-wing in Israel's history.

With additional reporting by Nagham Mohanna