Arab parties projected to win 19 seats as record 80% turnout in Palestinian Israeli communities
Exit polls show Joint List and Ra’am could secure 19 Knesset seats amid historic voter participation among Palestinian citizens of Israel.
At a glance
- Arab parties projected to win 19 seats in Israeli parliament, a record high.
- Voter turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel reached 80%, breaking 1999 records.
- Overall turnout hit 77.7%, the highest since 1999, with Palestinian citizens comprising 21% of population.
Israeli Arab parties are projected to win 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset, according to exit polls, marking a record level of political participation from Palestinian citizens of Israel.
With over one-third of votes counted, the Joint List and Ra’am parties are positioned to hold a combined 19 seats, the highest share ever for Arab-led parties in Israeli parliamentary history.
Voter turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel reached approximately 80 percent, shattering previous records dating back to 1999, as reported by Israel's Channel 12.
The Joint List secured over 9 percent of the national vote, while the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party trails the Likud-led coalition headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas expressed hope that the final results will enable his party and other anti-Netanyahu forces to reach the 61 seats needed to form a government. Currently holding five Knesset seats, Ra’am previously joined a coalition government from 2021 to 2022.
Abbas stated before voting began that without sufficient seats, "there is no government," noting that both major blocs reached out to his party during the campaign.
Political analyst Alon Pinkas, former Israeli ambassador, warned that forming a government may prove difficult for parties like Yashar, which campaigned against coalition-building with Arab parties. "There’s a price to pay," Pinkas said, adding that Arab parties will likely demand concessions that a Jewish-led coalition may reject.
Netanyahu and his far-right coalition made last-minute efforts to mobilize supporters, warning of rising Arab voter turnout. Videos showed cars with Likud flags blaring the Islamic call to prayer while urging supporters to vote because "Arabs are voting."
Social media posts from the prime minister featured long queues at polling stations in Arab communities, including women wearing the niqab. He warned: "If we don’t wake up now, we’ll find ourselves with a government of Mansour Abbas and Ahmad Tibi."
Overall turnout hit 77.7 percent, the highest since 1999. Palestinian citizens make up about 21 percent of Israel’s 10 million residents but have historically voted at lower rates than Jewish Israelis.
Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh described the election as "an existential moment for Palestinian-Israelis," noting that even previously disengaged voters participated due to growing belief that voting could influence systemic discrimination they face. The Knesset has passed over 100 laws discriminating against Palestinian citizens of Israel, who also face unequal access to state funding.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- How many seats are Arab parties projected to win in the Israeli election?
- Exit polls indicate Arab parties could win 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset, the highest ever for Arab-led parties.
- What was the voter turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel?
- Turnout reached approximately 80 percent, setting a new record that surpassed the previous high of 1999.
- Why is this election considered significant for Palestinian Israelis?
- The historic turnout shows increased political engagement from a community that has faced systemic discrimination and historically low participation rates.
