How Israel’s Arab parties could help oust Netanyahu after election gains

Explainer

Rina Bassist

Yousef Jabareen, leader of Israel's Arab-led Joint List political alliance (C-L), and other members cheer at the alliance's campaign headquarters in the northern Israeli city of Nazareth on Oct. 27, 2026. — Yousef Jabareen, leader of Israel's Arab-led Joint List political alliance (C-L), and other members cheer at the alliance's campaign headquarters in the northern Israeli city of Nazareth on Oct. 27, 2026, as the first exit polls are announced on television during Israel's legislative election. — AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP via Getty Images

JAFFA — With an unprecedented combined total of 19 seats, Israel’s two Arab parties — the Joint List and Ra’am — have surged into the role of political kingmakers.

Long sidelined in a Jewish-dominated political system, Arab politicians are leveraging high voter turnout to reshape Israel’s political future. Their immediate target: ending Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure by anchoring an alternative governing coalition.

Unprecedented gains

Arab citizens came out in record numbers for the Oct. 27 elections, with turnout reaching 80% — even higher than the national rate of 77%. The surge in turnout was particularly pronounced in Sakhnin, where participation reached 83.5%, up from 68.4% in 2022; in Kafr Qassem, where it rose to 81.3% from 66.8%; and in the Bedouin town of Rahat, where turnout climbed to 79.8% from 66.6%.