Democrats leader urges opposition to partner with Arab parties after election results

Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, said on social media that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc secured about 55 seats, while the opposition bloc obtained roughly 65 seats in the recent Knesset election. He argued that the opposition, together with the Arab parties Ra'am and the Joint List, holds a majority and therefore has both a responsibility and an opportunity to form a government of change.

"Netanyahu lost. I know how to count to 120. Sixty-five is more than 55. That's how Israeli democracy works. Period," Golan wrote.

Golan added that the opposition should not accept a division between Jewish and Arab voters and emphasized equal voting weight across communities.

Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen also expressed readiness to cooperate with the opposition, stating that his party is prepared to help remove the current government.

"Against a government of bloodshed, against a politics of supremacy, racism, and exclusion, we offer a completely different alternative," he posted on X.

He called for a partnership between Jewish and Arab representatives that would be "true and equal."

Senior Joint List lawmaker Ahmad Tibi told Army Radio that the Arab faction is willing to sit with the opposition in a future government, saying, "We are extending a hand and are ready to help."

Democrats MK Gilad Kariv described the post-election environment as a "different political reality" and noted that the right-wing coalition had lost seats, reducing its chances of forming a government. He highlighted that a substantial majority of voters rejected Netanyahu and called for decisive action to prevent his continuation in power.

Election data from the Central Elections Committee indicated that the Arab parties Ra'am and the Joint List are projected to win six and eleven seats respectively, while the opposition bloc comprising Yashar, B’Yachad, Yisrael Beytenu and the Democrats is expected to hold 49 seats.