Netanyahu Calls for Strong National Coalition Without Arab Parties
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking a broad government without Arab-majority parties after Likud emerged as the largest force in his camp. He says any coalition partner must reject terrorism and support a stable Jewish and national majority.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the creation of a broad national government that would exclude Arab-majority parties, arguing that his Likud party, which secured 27 of the 53 seats won by his camp, should lead the next coalition. "A clear majority of the Jewish public chose Likud as the largest party and chose me, as prime minister, to lead the next government," he said in a statement posted on Likud's Telegram channel. Netanyahu added that the coalition would be open to any party that does not support terrorism, a condition many supporters view as a basic test of responsibility and loyalty to the state.
Opposition leaders, headed by Gadi Eisenkot, are scheduled to meet on Tuesday in Herzliya to coordinate their next steps after the election produced no clear majority. Eisenkot's bloc, which won 48 seats, has pledged to back him as prime minister, while internal debates continue over whether to seek support from Arab parties. Some opposition figures, such as Yair Golan of the Democrats, favor cooperation with Arab lists, whereas Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu opposes it, underscoring the divide between those who want a disciplined national coalition and those willing to rely on controversial outside backing.
Arab-majority parties, which together hold a record 19 seats, have condemned the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, but have not uniformly accepted the label of a terror group. The Raam party leader has recognized Israel as a Jewish state, a stance not shared by all Arab leaders, even as critics on the right argue that such parties should not be central to government-building.
President Isaac Herzog is expected to begin consultations with party representatives on Wednesday. He has seven days to nominate a candidate to form a government, after which the nominee has up to 28 days, extendable by 14 days, to assemble a coalition. Failure to do so could trigger a second nomination round or, ultimately, new elections, leaving Israel to decide whether it will form a firm governing majority or return to the instability of another campaign.