Israeli opposition leader rules out coalition with Arab parties after election
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Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman said his party will not join a government that includes Arab factions, complicating coalition talks following the recent Knesset election.
Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, announced that his party will not take part in any cabinet that includes Arab parties.
Lieberman said, "Anyone who wants to rely on supporters of terrorism is welcome to do so. Yisrael Beiteinu will not be part of it."
The latest election results confirmed that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's coalition retained 53 seats, while the secular Zionist bloc led by former chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot secured 48 seats. Two Arab parties, the Joint List and Ra’am, together hold 19 seats, giving them a pivotal role in forming a government.
Analysts note that Eisenkot would likely need Ra’am's participation and the Joint List's support—either through voting for him as prime minister without taking cabinet seats or by abstaining—to assemble a majority. Ra’am won eight seats, compared with Yisrael Beiteinu's seven, meaning any gain from Ra’am could be offset by Yisrael Beiteinu's withdrawal.
A Hebrew University poll of voters supporting Eisenkot's "Change" bloc found that 61% favored a coalition that includes Arab parties, while 20% preferred a new election and 12% supported a national unity government involving both Netanyahu and Eisenkot. President Isaac Herzog and U.S. President Donald Trump have expressed support for a unity solution.