Israeli coalition talks remain deadlocked as Arab parties hold crucial seats

Israeli political negotiations remain deadlocked ahead of the official certification of election results scheduled for Wednesday. According to Al Jazeera and the South China Morning Post, the right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secured 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset following the vote on October 27. The self-styled Zionist opposition alliance led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats. Neither bloc has achieved the 61 seats required to form a majority government. [1][2]

The South China Morning Post reported that the five leaders of the opposition bloc met at a hotel in Herzliya to consult on strategy. The opposition pledged to form a government quickly to remove Benjamin Netanyahu from power. However, internal divisions remain over whether the opposition alliance should seek a formal coalition with Arab lawmakers. Al Jazeera and the South China Morning Post both noted that Arab-led lists won 19 seats, making them potential kingmakers in the negotiations. [1][2]

Al Jazeera reported that the 19 seats won by Arab political groups are split between the Joint List and Ra'am, also known as the United Arab List. Meanwhile, the leader of Israel's largest Arab political alliance stated that the country has a historic opportunity to oust Benjamin Netanyahu, according to reports from CNN and The Indian Express. [1][3][7]

Al Jazeera also reported that Benjamin Netanyahu's camp faced accusations of trying to delegitimise the election outcome after launching claims that were largely discounted. As FTMQ News reported earlier, both Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot campaigned on promises to end Hamas rule in Gaza following the vote. [1][14][15]

Separately, United States President Donald Trump announced that he will cut aid to Israel by the end of the year after striking an agreement with Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the Daily Mail. The Times of Israel and Haaretz reported that Gadi Eisenkot strongly criticized Benjamin Netanyahu following the announcement, arguing that the halt in American military aid puts the security of Israel at risk. [5][8][9]