(From left) Arab-Jewish Hadash party leader Yousef Jabareen, nationalist Balad party leader Sami Abu Shehadeh and Israeli parliament member Ahmad Tibih attend an event of Israel's Joint List of Arab Parties.
\n\nIsrael's Arab political parties could hold the key to forming the country's next government after a surge in support placed them in a potentially decisive position following Tuesday's election. With neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc nor the opposition led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot securing a parliamentary majority, the Arab parties' support could determine whether Netanyahu remains in power or a new government takes shape.
\n\nPartial results published by Israel's Central Elections Committee showed Netanyahu's bloc projected to win 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, against 48 for the bloc led by Eisenkot's Yashar party. The two Arab-led parties were projected to secure a combined 19 seats — an unprecedented high.
\n\nThe Joint List was on course to win 12 seats, while the Islamist Ra'am party was projected to take seven. Both currently hold five seats each in the outgoing parliament. The previous combined record for Arab parties was 15 seats, set in 2020.
\n\nWith almost 93% of votes counted, Netanyahu's alliance had edged ahead but…
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/delhi
