Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued his incitement against Arab parties on Friday, which achieved historic gains in the Knesset elections, amid fears that they would support the formation of an alternative government that would oust him and push him into the opposition ranks.
Netanyahu said in a post on the "X" platform, referring to the Arab parties: "It is forbidden to form a government with them." His stance comes amid election results that deprived his camp of a parliamentary majority, while the opposition, with the support of Arab lawmakers, can now form an alternative government.
Historic gains for Arab parties
Preliminary results showed that the Joint List and the Unified Arab List won 19 seats out of 120 in the Knesset. This represents the highest number of seats achieved by Arab parties in the history of the Israeli parliament, surpassing the previous record of 15 seats in the 2020 elections.
This progress came at a time when Netanyahu's camp failed to secure the majority needed to form a government. According to preliminary results, Netanyahu's camp obtained 53 seats, compared to 48 for the opposition camp and 19 for the Arab lists.
Possibilities of forming an alternative government
At least 61 lawmakers' confidence is required to form a government. Parliamentary calculations indicate that the opposition parties and Arab parties together hold 67 seats, a majority theoretically sufficient to form an alternative government. If these parties reach an understanding to form the government, Netanyahu will move to the opposition ranks.
The final results of the elections are expected to be announced on November 4. Israeli President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to begin consultations next week with the parties that won the elections to determine which Knesset member he will entrust with forming the new government.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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