Democrats Urge Boldness to Form New Israeli Government
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Israeli Democrats party members, including MKs Naama Lazimi and Efrat Rayten, are calling for political courage to form a new government after exit polls showed a significant drop for Prime Minister Netanyahu's bloc. Lazimi specifically urged cooperation with the Arab party Ra'am, a stance the Democrats have publicly supported. While Arab parties collectively performed well, it is uncertain if their support will be enough for the "change bloc" to secure the necessary 61 seats for a majority in the Knesset.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israeli Democrats urge political courage to form a new government, citing exit poll results.
- MK Naama Lazimi called for cooperation with the Arab party Ra'am to achieve stability.
- Democrats stated the public has "fired" Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government.
- Exit polls suggest Arab parties won 17-18 seats, with Ra'am taking around 7.
- It remains uncertain if the "change bloc" will reach the 61-seat majority needed.
Following the release of exit poll results, a senior member of the Israeli Democrats party, MK Naama Lazimi, stated that her party has consistently advocated for cooperation with the Arab party Ra'am. "From the first moment, we said, we need to sit with Ra'am," Lazimi declared at the party's headquarters. She emphasized the need for "political courage and leadership," asserting that "the public has spoken, 70 to 50." Lazimi added that the Israeli public has "fired Netanyahu, fired the government of abandonment, evasion, and plunder," and that it is now time for the Democrats to "be brave and do everything to bring healing, stability, and quiet to this country."
The Democrats were the only party in the "change bloc" to publicly support forming a government with Arab parties, specifically Ra'am, before the election. Party Chairman Yair Golan echoed this sentiment on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "The public has spoken, it fired the Netanyahu government." He highlighted the "historic opportunity to establish a true change government in Israel" and vowed that his party would do everything to ensure its formation, expressing readiness to work with all partners and bridge differences.
MK Efrat Rayten also commented from the party headquarters, declaring that "Netanyahu's government has collapsed." She noted that Netanyahu's bloc dropped to "a low of 50 seats and lost its majority," signifying that "the State of Israel gave him a red card and said: You are going home." Rayten stressed the urgency of beginning work immediately to "take the reins in the Knesset and examine how to establish a new government that will ensure the security of the State of Israel."
According to most exit polls, Arab parties collectively achieved a significant result, winning between 17 and 18 seats. Ra'am alone was projected to win around 7 seats in each poll. However, it remains unclear if even with Ra'am's participation, the "change bloc" will reach the required 61 seats for a majority in the 26th Knesset.
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