Israeli Elections

The recent Israeli elections saved Prime Minister Netanyahu of the Zionist entity from a lengthy prison sentence due to corruption cases that have loomed over him for years. However, he won only 53 seats, while his rival, Eizenkot, secured 48 seats. It remains unclear whether consultations will result in Netanyahu being tasked with forming a government, despite his longstanding hostility toward Arabs in general and Israeli Arabs in particular. This animosity drove many Arabs to vote against him in an effort to defeat him. It appears that Eizenkot is now the closest to assuming office, but neither candidate can form a government alone, creating a political crisis for the Zionist entity.

The ultra-Orthodox (Haredim) had demanded exemption from mandatory military service in the Israeli army, but Netanyahu failed to fulfill his promises to them. Consequently, they withdrew their support and, in some cases, boycotted the elections altogether, which contributed to Netanyahu’s failure to secure a large majority.

The situation will become clearer within approximately two months, with the deadline for forming a government potentially extended by two additional weeks. Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Knesset faces threats of replacement, leaving him and his supporters in a poor psychological state.

Prior to the elections, biweekly polls predicted that Arab parties would win 14 seats. Although the Likud party remains strong and Netanyahu is ahead, he cannot form a government without coordinating with other parties. He even questioned the integrity of the elections to such an extent that Likud demanded an investigation into the electoral process. However, the Election Committee and police confirmed that the elections were fair. This prompted Ben Gvir to call for the arrest of Arab party leaders, alleging they received foreign funding from countries such as Qatar and Turkey—claims denied by Arab parties and even by Netanyahu himself. Notably, they do not mention the US President’s open support for Netanyahu.

Following the closure of polling stations for the Knesset elections, Netanyahu warned against the possibility of an Arab-led left-wing government, claiming that any such government would be “terrorist” according to his own definition. He stated his intention to work on forming a government.

The Israeli Election Committee reported that the Likud party gained one seat, bringing its total to 27, at the expense of the Shas party, which dropped to six seats. However, the reality indicates that forming a government will not be easy.

Arab voters were not entirely united, as each party has its own agenda. Nevertheless, they set aside some differences and coordinated among themselves, achieving a result that alarmed the Israeli public, as Arab parties will now play a significant role in shaping the next government.

On another note, former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani praised the performance of Arab parties in the recent Israeli elections. He stated that the increase in Arab seats enhances the hope of Palestinian citizens in preserving their rights, improving their status, and living in peace on their land.

Arabs achieved an unprecedented victory in the elections, securing 19 seats—a first in history. This outcome reflects the nature of the struggle of Palestinians living within what is referred to as “Arab 48” (Israeli Arabs), who hold Israeli citizenship. While some advocated boycotting the elections as futile due to living in a racist society implementing apartheid against them, others saw value in participation. This achievement signals a slight shift in the mindset of Israeli society.

Arabs seek to remove Netanyahu from power, bring him to trial in the Israeli courts, and prosecute him at the International Court of Justice. They also oppose his forming a government due to the crimes he committed during his long tenure. However, the outcome depends on the nature of coalition alliances.

Arabs are calling for a new prime minister not because he will be a close friend of the Palestinians, but because he will undoubtedly be better than Netanyahu’s fascism and the crimes that have embarrassed even his supporters in the Western world.

Some Arab members of the Knesset said they were dedicating their victories to residents of the West Bank and Gaza, and there was a pre-election campaign under the slogan of getting rid of the fascist Netanyahu.

The Arab MK Ahmad Tibi continued, shouting at an extremist, “Let people vote.” Large celebrations accompanied the announcement that Arabs had won unprecedented seats, featuring Palestinian dabke dancing and waving the Palestinian keffiyeh, which has become a symbol of the Palestinian struggle.

Indeed, Israeli laws and the Israeli political landscape treat Palestinians merely as voters rather than citizens, a stance that undermines the Palestinian cause. Yet this step forward was enough to instill fear and anxiety among politically active activists in the Zionist entity.

Support for the Palestinian cause against the Zionist entity has rapidly expanded globally over the past four years at the political, economic, cultural, artistic, and sports levels. Several politicians, artists, and athletes have taken actions supporting the Palestinian cause.

Arabs, along with the rest of the world, are still awaiting the formation of the new government, as it could mean a return to war with Iran, particularly if led by Netanyahu. He will undoubtedly go to war with Trump unless the Strait of Hormuz is opened and Iran agrees to inspections of nuclear facilities bombed in the last war, in exchange for some material concessions, including the lifting of certain sanctions on Iran. These sanctions have proven that Iran is capable of withstanding military and economic shocks, despite the suffering of the Iranian people. Thus, several conditions have been imposed, the most important being the lifting of the siege, allowing the export of petrochemicals, releasing frozen funds, and halting the war. Only then would there be a chance to discuss nuclear negotiations, with a major challenge being Iran’s lack of trust in U.S. promises. This poses a significant challenge for mediators, as diplomatic solutions remain below the level of ambition needed to satisfy all parties.

Iran fears that inspections of the bombed nuclear facilities could lead to the leakage of some information to the United States and Israel, as both countries do not know the full extent of the damage despite advances in technical espionage. Therefore, Iran is trying to buy time despite its hardships, which is putting pressure on the flow of oil and gas to the world at reasonable prices.