Internal Rift in Arab Parties Threatens Israel’s Anti-Netanyahu Bloc Ahead of Elections

With ten weeks remaining until Israel’s elections, a significant internal conflict has emerged within the Arab parties, potentially undermining the entire anti-Netanyahu coalition. While much attention has focused on the fragmented center-right bloc, a dramatic split among the Arab parties could lead to separate runs and a loss of crucial votes. This division echoes the previous election’s scenario, which contributed to Netanyahu’s victory.

The dispute centers on the breakdown of a planned joint list between Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad, excluding Mansour Abbas’s Ra'am party. After months of negotiations, Ta'al, led by Ahmad Tibi, rejected a reconciliation committee’s proposal due to dissatisfaction with the allocated candidate slots, particularly only two places in the top ten. This rejection ended talks and escalated tensions into bitter public accusations, fracturing a partnership that had lasted since 2015.

In response, a newly formed Arab-Jewish party, "A Place for All," has been engaging with Ta'al to explore a possible joint run. However, this party currently polls below the electoral threshold, and even optimistic projections give it only about one and a half seats. Political analysts warn that if the split persists, both factions risk failing to cross the threshold, potentially leaving only Ra'am in the Knesset from the Arab sector.

Such an outcome would benefit Netanyahu’s camp by weakening the opposition’s ability to reach the 61-seat majority needed to form a government without Arab party support. Opposition leaders like Gadi Eizenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Avigdor Lieberman have yet to decide on their leadership and strategy, but their apparent disregard for the Arab parties’ internal crisis could prove costly.

An Arab party leader warned that complacency within the opposition mirrors the mistakes of the last election, where vote splitting among Arab and left-wing parties handed Netanyahu a stable majority. The opposition is urged to urgently address this rift to avoid repeating past losses and to strengthen the anti-Netanyahu bloc’s chances in the upcoming vote.