Arab Lawmakers Take Centre Stage As Israel's New Knesset Opens Amid Political Turmoil

Israel's newly elected 26th Knesset was sworn in on Tuesday, November 10, with Arab-led political lists securing a record 19 seats in the 120-member parliament, while the country remains locked in a difficult government-formation process following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's loss of a parliamentary majority.

The Joint List won 11 seats and the United Arab List (Ra'am) secured eight, surpassing the previous record of 15 seats held by Arab parties in March 2020. The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) also identified the new Knesset as having a record number of non-Jewish lawmakers and women. The 19-seat figure refers to the combined strength of the two Arab-led lists, not an ethnic classification of all their elected members.

The increase followed a sharp rise in electoral participation among Arab voters. According to the IDI, turnout in Arab society reached approximately 77%, compared with 53.2% in the 2022 election. The institute attributed the mobilisation partly to efforts by Arab parties to influence government formation and prevent another Netanyahu-led administration.

Tense Inauguration

All 120 elected lawmakers took their oaths during the inaugural sitting in Jerusalem, which was attended by President Isaac Herzog. The proceedings were interrupted when National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir heckled Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen as he recited the statutory words, “I commit”. Ben-Gvir interjected, “Who's he committing to, Hamas?” Speaker Amir Ohana called him to order and warned that further interruptions could lead to his removal from the chamber.

Herzog urged lawmakers to work towards compromise and avoid another election. He had appointed former military chief and Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot to form the next government on Sunday, after factions representing 67 lawmakers recommended him, compared with 46 backing Netanyahu. One faction representing seven lawmakers made no recommendation.

Arab Parties Hold The Balance

The final election results gave Netanyahu's Likud 27 seats, making it the largest individual party. His right-wing and ultra-Orthodox allies hold 53 seats, while Eisenkot's Zionist opposition partners have 48. The Joint List and Ra'am together hold the remaining 19, making their support potentially decisive in a parliament where 61 votes are needed for a majority.

Both Arab-led factions recommended Eisenkot during presidential consultations. However, their support for his nomination does not automatically mean they will join his government or back every coalition agreement. Eisenkot has left open the possibility of relying on Arab-party support, while Netanyahu has argued against a government dependent on the two lists.

Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister while negotiations continue. Eisenkot has until December 6 to form a government, with a possible two-week extension until December 20. If he fails, Herzog can give Netanyahu an opportunity to form a coalition.