The leader of Israel’s Balad party has condemned the country’s main political leaders for refusing to form a coalition with Arab parties, even after a record showing in polls could make them kingmakers for the next parliament following an inconclusive election.
Accusations of Racism and Calls for Equality
Sami Abu Shehadeh told Al Jazeera that Palestinian citizens of Israel, who comprise roughly one-fifth of the population, are treated as illegitimate partners despite high voter turnout. He stated that this attitude constitutes racism, emphasizing that Arab politicians represent a legitimate elected leadership for the national minority.
Arab parties are on track to secure a record 19 seats, which could provide them with decisive leverage over the main political blocs. With 85 percent of the vote counted, the Central Elections Committee reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc leads with at least 53 seats, while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot holds 48 seats. Both blocs remain short of the 61 seats required to govern. Netanyahu asserted that voters chose a strong right-wing government, whereas Eisenkot maintained that the public voted for change.
Abu Shehadeh leads Balad, one of the three parties in the Joint List, though he was not a candidate in this election. Israel’s elections committee voted to disqualify him following a request by far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Ben-Gvir accused him of supporting the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack based on an article published the following day where Abu Shehadeh described the event as an important historical occurrence.
Abu Shehadeh later explained to the Supreme Court that he did not support armed struggle and acknowledged that a specific paragraph in the article had been poorly phrased. He clarified that his intention was to urge a shift toward a political process. He withdrew his candidacy in October after a majority of the Supreme Court panel indicated willingness to uphold the disqualification. He rejected the basis of the decision, telling Al Jazeera that the court demonstrated the existence of two distinct judicial systems in Israel—one for Jews and one for Arabs.
Expressing pride in the high voter turnout among the Arab Palestinian minority, Abu Shehadeh told Al Jazeera that the community’s primary commitment to voters was preventing what he described as a gang of criminals from returning to power. He specifically named Netanyahu alongside far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, adding that the community had already succeeded in fulfilling that initial promise.
Political Hurdles and International Context
Reporting from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh stated that Netanyahu has discouraged any engagement with Palestinian Israeli parties, positioning himself to direct political maneuvers. She noted that Eisenkot and his allies have signaled a preference for a Zionist government and remain unwilling to form a coalition with Arab parties, leaving limited alternatives.
Danny Ayalon, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States, told Al Jazeera that turnout among Palestinian citizens reached unprecedented levels, giving their parties significant political clout. He noted that mathematically, Eisenkot’s bloc could unite with the two Arab parties to reach the governing threshold, though achieving this would require considerable political wizardry. Meanwhile, Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen stated that his alliance is open to cooperating in order to unseat Netanyahu.
Outlining the demands of Palestinian citizens for the incoming government, Abu Shehadeh stated they oppose genocide and apartheid while striving to advance an alternative political vision rooted in freedom, justice, and equality for everyone residing between the river and the sea. Referring to Netanyahu, he stated that the core issue is that the prime minister is a war criminal.
A United Nations commission released a report on Monday stating that Israel has persisted in committing genocide in Gaza following the US-brokered ceasefire in the enclave last October. Additionally, the International Criminal Court based in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 for war crimes allegedly committed during the conflict in Gaza.
