The Times of Israel reported that Arab leaders in Israel are calling on the minority population to turn out heavily for the October 27, 2026 general election, aiming to remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and replace the most right-wing administration in the nation’s history. High turnout by the 21 percent Arab minority, comprising over 2 million citizens, could shift the coalition arithmetic in favor of an anti-Netanyahu bloc led by former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, according to polling data published ahead of the vote.
Gadi Eisenkot and Likud Lead Close Knesset Polling
According to The Jerusalem Post, an N12 News survey released Wednesday evening placed Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar faction in the lead with 23 seats, marking a drop of one seat from prior polls. A Channel 13 poll published at the same time also put Yashar in first place with 20 seats. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party came in second in both surveys, trailing Eisenkot and falling to 19 seats. Neither poll found that either political bloc would win a clear majority in the 120-seat Knesset, though the opposition bloc continued to lead Netanyahu’s coalition.
N12 projected that the opposition bloc would win 55 seats compared to 51 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc. By comparison, the Channel 13 poll showed Eisenkot’s bloc gaining one seat to reach 52, while Netanyahu’s bloc lost one seat to drop to 49. UA.News noted that Arab citizens make up about 20% of Israel’s population.
Joint List Campaigns to Oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
During a press conference in Haifa, figures representing three Arab parties stated that the Joint List coalition would work toward ousting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the Knesset vote. The event was attended by Joint List head Yousef Jabareen, leader of the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash); Ahmad Tibi, head of the parliamentary faction and leader of the Arab Movement for Renewal (Ta’al); and Sami Abu Shehadeh, leader of the National Democratic Assembly party (Balad).
Jabareen stated that the alliance was gaining support in polls and expected to win nine seats to protect Arab citizens from crime, violence, and house demolition policies. Ahmad Tibi further noted that the coalition aimed to prevent Netanyahu from staying on as head of the caretaker government while facilitating the creation of an alternative administration. Tibi noted that his group was ready to form a preventive block to support a government from the outside and vote to establish an official commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks.
Arab Parties and Coalition Arithmetic in the Knesset
The Joint List could win nine seats in the Knesset, while Mansour Abbas’s United Arab List is polling between five and six seats, according to figures cited by The Jerusalem Post. Most opposition parties maintain that they will only partner with explicitly Zionist platforms. However, Abbas thinks that room for maneuver may exist, perhaps after the vote, largely thanks to the cold, hard realities of electoral math.
For his part, Gadi Eisenkot stated in a podcast that he would not align himself with any Arab party, citing their refusal to label Hamas a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s campaign has used AI-generated videos and doctored images to depict his rivals embracing Arab leaders, while Likud and Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party vowed to send nearly 2,000 activists to polling stations in Arab communities over unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud, The Times of Israel reported.
Gaza Residents Await the Outcome of Israeli Elections
In the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, supermarket owner Munir Abu Wadi told The National that he is waiting to see whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is removed from power before he sets about rebuilding his business. Across Gaza, residents report that decisions regarding family life, business, and home reconstruction have been postponed in anticipation of the vote. Mustafa Mousa, a 30-year-old living in Gaza, delayed his engagement and marriage until after the election, citing the need for stability and peace of mind.
Political analyst Emad Omar told The National that many Palestinians view the election as exceptional because Israeli policy influences nearly every part of their social and economic lives. Omar noted that a Netanyahu victory would deepen fears that his right-wing coalition’s military approach and policies would continue, while adding that concerns remain that a major military escalation could occur before the vote to shift opinion polls.
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