Poll Shows Arab Parties Crucial for Israeli Coalition Building

A new poll by Israel's Channel 13 indicates a significant increase in parliamentary representation for Arab parties, which collectively secured 13 seats. This bloc is poised to become a decisive factor in Israeli politics, potentially holding the balance of power. The Joint List garnered 8 seats, while the United Arab List maintained its support base with 5 seats.

The survey highlights a political stalemate, suggesting that no single bloc can form a government without the support of Arab parties. The poll projected the opposition bloc with 52 seats, the coalition bloc with 51 seats, Arab parties with 13 seats, and the "Reserve Soldiers and Economy" party with 4 seats.

Among the major parties, Benny Gantz's party led with 22 seats, followed by Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud with 18 seats. The "Yahad" (Together) and "Democrats" parties each secured 11 seats. Other parties received varying numbers of seats: Yisrael Beiteinu, the Joint List, and United Torah Judaism each received 8 seats; Otzma Yehudit and Shas each received 7 seats; and Religious Zionism received 6 seats. The United Arab List and the "Am Echad Israel" party each received 5 seats, and the "Reserve Soldiers and Economy" party received 4 seats.