Palestinian voters could decide Israel ’ s future, but its political class refuses to accept their mandate. Few certainties have emerged from Israel ’ s parliamentary elections.
Palestinian voters could decide Israel ’ s future, but its political class refuses to accept their mandate. Few certainties have emerged from Israel ’ s parliamentary elections.
A major development emerged this week as palestinian voters could decide Israel ’ s future, but its political class refuses to accept their mandate. Few certainties have emerged from Israel ’ s parliamentary elections.
Background
This situation has been building for some time, shaped by a series of interconnected events.
What is not in doubt, however, is the surge in turnout from Palestinian citizens of Israel, which has established Arab parties as a pivotal bloc in the parliament, potentially one able to determine which of the rival camps forms a government, if either is willing to work with them.
The turnout has given the two principal electoral lists representing Palestinian citizens of Israel – the United Arab List ( Ra ’ am) and the Joint List – a combined 19 seats in the 120-member parliament, potentially giving them a decisive function in determining who forms the next government.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, however, rather than acknowledge that groundswell of support, Israel ’ s leading politicians have sought to either delegitimise their vote – attributing it to foreign interference – or somehow cast Palestinians exercising their democratic right as an “ attempt to steal the election ”.
Analysis
Experts and analysts have begun weighing in on what this means going forward.
Framing the result as a bid to secure the “ Islamisation of Israel ”, Netanyahu ’ s ruling Likud party has gone so far as to call on Israel ’ s internal security service, the Shin Bet, to investigate the possibility of foreign election interference into the large-scale Palestinian turnout.
Against this backdrop, despite denouncing Netanyahu ’ s government as corrupt, incompetent and damaging to Israel ’ s international standing, much of Israel ’ s Jewish-led opposition has remained reluctant to embrace the support of Palestinian parties to remove him from leverage.
Alongside the primary story, the left-wing Democrats have been the likeliest to cooperate with the Palestinian parties, while other opposition figures have either resisted such an alliance or stopped short of rejecting allegations that foreign actors helped engineer the surge in Palestinian voter turnout.
National Impact
What this means for Americans — and for the country as a whole — is becoming clearer.
On election night, past prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid ruled out sitting alongside Palestinian parties in government, regardless of having relied on their support during their brief 2021 – 22 government.
Of particular significance is the fact that on Thursday, another leading member of the opposition, Avigdor Lieberman, the hard-right chief of Yisrael Beytenu, also ruled out forming a coalition with Palestinian parties.
According to those with knowledge of the situation, however, with the 19 seats held by Palestinian parties, the majority in parliament is against Netanyahu.
At the same time, “ Instead, we ’ re hearing elements of the opposition talking about joining with Netanyahu in some kind of Country-wide Unity government.
Of particular significance is the fact that political differences do exist between an opposition that deliberately frames itself as Zionist and a Palestinian minority whose claim to equal national and civic rights is seen by some as a rejection of that.
What Happens Next
The implications of what has transpired will take time to fully understand. In the interim, this development stands as a significant moment in a story that is still being written.
A major development emerged this week as palestinian voters could decide Israel ’ s future, but its political class refuses to accept their mandate. Few certainties have emerged from Israel ’ s parliamentary elections.
Background
This situation has been building for some time, shaped by a series of interconnected events.
What is not in doubt, however, is the surge in turnout from Palestinian citizens of Israel, which has established Arab parties as a pivotal bloc in the parliament, potentially one able to determine which of the rival camps forms a government, if either is willing to work with them.
The turnout has given the two principal electoral lists representing Palestinian citizens of Israel – the United Arab List ( Ra ’ am) and the Joint List – a combined 19 seats in the 120-member parliament, potentially giving them a decisive function in determining who forms the next government.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, however, rather than acknowledge that groundswell of support, Israel ’ s leading politicians have sought to either delegitimise their vote – attributing it to foreign interference – or somehow cast Palestinians exercising their democratic right as an “ attempt to steal the election ”.
Analysis
Experts and analysts have begun weighing in on what this means going forward.
Framing the result as a bid to secure the “ Islamisation of Israel ”, Netanyahu ’ s ruling Likud party has gone so far as to call on Israel ’ s internal security service, the Shin Bet, to investigate the possibility of foreign election interference into the large-scale Palestinian turnout.
Against this backdrop, despite denouncing Netanyahu ’ s government as corrupt, incompetent and damaging to Israel ’ s international standing, much of Israel ’ s Jewish-led opposition has remained reluctant to embrace the support of Palestinian parties to remove him from leverage.
Alongside the primary story, the left-wing Democrats have been the likeliest to cooperate with the Palestinian parties, while other opposition figures have either resisted such an alliance or stopped short of rejecting allegations that foreign actors helped engineer the surge in Palestinian voter turnout.
National Impact
What this means for Americans — and for the country as a whole — is becoming clearer.
On election night, past prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid ruled out sitting alongside Palestinian parties in government, regardless of having relied on their support during their brief 2021 – 22 government.
Of particular significance is the fact that on Thursday, another leading member of the opposition, Avigdor Lieberman, the hard-right chief of Yisrael Beytenu, also ruled out forming a coalition with Palestinian parties.
According to those with knowledge of the situation, however, with the 19 seats held by Palestinian parties, the majority in parliament is against Netanyahu.
At the same time, “ Instead, we ’ re hearing elements of the opposition talking about joining with Netanyahu in some kind of Country-wide Unity government.
Of particular significance is the fact that political differences do exist between an opposition that deliberately frames itself as Zionist and a Palestinian minority whose claim to equal national and civic rights is seen by some as a rejection of that.
What Happens Next
The implications of what has transpired will take time to fully understand. In the interim, this development stands as a significant moment in a story that is still being written.
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