Israeli defence minister accuses Netanyahu of racist campaign amid Arab parties' record Knesset win
Israeli defence minister Gadi Eisenkot said caretaker prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent comments about Arab lawmakers amounted to a racist campaign, accusing the prime minister of delegitimising Arab citizens, on 13 November in Israel. Earlier, Eisenkot had condemned Netanyahu for a similar alleged campaign, describing it as political persecution, according to the Guardian. Arab parties won a record 19 seats in the Knesset, a historic gain celebrated by Palestinian citizens of Israel, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The Independent noted that the victory gave the change bloc a majority and spurred coalition negotiations. The Telegraph added that mainstream Israeli parties avoid coalitions with Arab parties because of policy differences rather than ethnicity.
