Yossi Schwartz ISL (RCIT section in Israel/Occupied Palestine) 28.10.2026
There is no doubt that most of Israel’s Jewish and Arab citizens voted, thinking that this was a fateful election. At this moment, 70% of the votes were counted in an election campaign in which they voted at a higher percentage than in previous elections.
With 70% of the votes counted, the bloc led by Eisenkot has 48 seats without the Arab parties. The Likud won 27 seats, Eisenkot 20, and the Arab parties 19.
According to “Haaretz”:
Democratic Chairman Yair Golan said on Wednesday morning, “It is time to form a government with the Arab parties. The reality picture must teach us one resounding lesson – we have no future here if we don’t stop being afraid, and if we don’t stop racism,” he said. ” We must no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist division between Jewish and Arab votes.” The truth.
“The vote of an Israeli citizen who votes in Tira is equal to the vote of an Israeli citizen who votes in Givat Shmuel. No less, not almost, exactly,” Golan wrote on social media. Anyone who tries to erase the votes of Arab citizens is surrendering to Netanyahu and giving up on Israel. We have a majority. We have a responsibility. And we have an opportunity to form a government of change in partnership with Israel’s Arab citizens. Now we need courage. We need leadership. We have to stop being afraid and start acting.”
So far, Golan is the only leader of the Eisenkot bloc parties to react to this morning’s results and propose a government with the Arab parties.
Later that morning, the chairman of the Joint List, Yusuf Jabareen, said his party was ready to help the bloc replace the prime minister:
“Netanyahu continued to incite against the Arab public, and therefore we are saying clearly today: This is either the continuation of racism and the continuation of exclusion and continued supremacy – or a true Jewish-Arab partnership,” Jabareen said. ” And we also say: Anyone who wants to offer a substantial and real alternative to Netanyahu’s bloody government will have to talk to us to pave the way for the change that the Israeli public longs for. Yes, we are ready to pave the way for Netanyahu’s ouster.”
The simple question is: what kind of partnership are Golan and Gibran talking about? Are they talking about turning Israel into a state that rejects its definition as a Jewish state? If so, are they talking about an immediate full withdrawal from Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria? About the evacuation of the settlements, about taking a hard hand against the Jewish rioters? About the return of the refugees? If not, it is not the relations of equlas but more like the relationship between the rider and his horse.