Several thousand people rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday calling on Israel's opposition bloc to work with the country's Arab-led parties in order to remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power, bdnews24.com reports.
Participants described the moment as perhaps the last real opening for change, according to the outlet. They argued that Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, is a skilled political operator, bdnews24.com reported, citing Al Jazeera.
The demonstration follows a national election on Tuesday that left neither of Israel's main blocs able to form a government on its own.
Why it matters
The numbers explain the pressure. In the 120-seat parliament, Netanyahu's right-wing bloc holds 53 seats, the centrist camp led by opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot holds 48, and Arab-led parties hold 19, according to bdnews24.com. A governing coalition needs at least 61 seats, so no side can assemble a majority without partners.
That arithmetic gives the Arab-led parties a decisive role. If Eisenkot's bloc agrees to form a government with their backing, it would command 67 seats, bdnews24.com reports. The obstacle is political rather than numerical: for many Israelis, relying on Arab party support is seen as unacceptable.
A reversal under discussion
Eisenkot had previously ruled out the possibility of building a coalition with the Arab parties, according to bdnews24.com. The post-election deadlock has revived the question, and the Tel Aviv crowd pressed him and other leaders of Jewish-Israeli parties to listen to voters who want the result to produce a change of government.
A correspondent for Al Jazeera in Ramallah, quoted by bdnews24.com, said people genuinely want their votes to succeed in bringing about change and believe Eisenkot and other leaders should heed them.
The demonstration was not one-sided. Supporters of Netanyahu turned out and chanted in response, bdnews24.com reports, describing the Arab parties as so-called terrorist parties and arguing that no Israeli government should be built on their support.
Record Arab turnout and a dispute over votes
The central election committee said the Joint List, an alliance of three Arab-led parties, and the Arab-led Ra'am party together received roughly 840,000 votes, according to bdnews24.com.
Netanyahu has accused Israel's Arab parties of irregularities in the election and of receiving money from Qatar for that purpose, bdnews24.com reports. Qatar has rejected the allegation, calling it a smear intended to sow confusion.
On the Israeli right, the historically high Arab-Palestinian participation has been described as "electoral terrorism" and compared to Hamas's attack on October 7, bdnews24.com reports.
What to watch
Attention now turns to Eisenkot's camp and whether it will accept Arab party backing to reach 67 seats — a step his own earlier statements had ruled out — while Netanyahu's supporters continue to argue the opposite case in the street.
