Arab Media Examines Arab Vote’s Power and Netanyahu’s Fragile Prospects in Israeli Election
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Regional outlets in Egypt, Qatar, Iran, Lebanon and the West Bank are scrutinizing how Arab parties may shape Israel’s next parliament and what a weakened Netanyahu government could mean for the region.
Media across the Arab world are closely watching Israel’s parliamentary election, weighing both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future and the role of Arab-led parties such as the Joint List and Mansour Abbas’s Ra’am. Analysts note that with no clear majority likely for either major bloc, the performance of Arab parties could become decisive in shaping the next government.
Egyptian channel Alghad TV highlighted comments from Hadash politician Shadi Shweiri, who described the election as a rare opportunity for Arab citizens of Israel to push forward national demands. Shweiri warned that Arab voters face “a choice between the bad and the worse” and stressed that voting rights were granted under international pressure rather than goodwill. He accused the current government of racism and of crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.
"Our situation is that we are being asked to choose between the bad and the worse, rather than between the good and the better," Shweiri said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei downplayed the election’s relevance to Tehran, stating that the outcome “makes no difference to us” and condemning the electoral process in the occupied territories.
"I do not agree with elections in the occupied territories at all; there is competition between different gangs to commit more evil," Baghaei said.
Qatar-based Al-Araby Al-Jadeed warned of a possible political stalemate that could leave Netanyahu heading a caretaker government. Palestinian journalist Beirut Hammoud framed the vote as taking place after three years of what she called “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing,” noting a decline in international support for Israel and arguing that opposition leaders differ from Netanyahu mainly in how they manage the conflict, not in their commitment to ending it.
Lebanese pro-Hezbollah outlet Al-Khanadeq alleged that Netanyahu’s camp has portrayed the Arab vote as a liability, citing AI-generated campaign material that links Arab politicians with Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas. The analysis also referenced efforts by the Central Elections Committee to disqualify Arab-majority parties and the deployment of activists to discourage Arab voters.
A Palestinian news site based in east Jerusalem linked the timing of the Israeli election to the U.S. midterms, suggesting that outcomes in both contests could reshape regional dynamics. The article, authored by Dr. Ahmed Youseff, expressed hopes that a defeat for Netanyahu could force a reassessment of Israel’s war policies and increase accountability, while cautioning that hopes should not be confused with guaranteed results.