Record turnout gives Arab parties potential kingmaker role in Israeli election

Neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc nor the centrist bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot appeared to hold a majority following Israel's legislative election on October 27, 2026. France 24 reported that uncertainty remains over the results, leaving Arab political parties in a position to deliver potential kingmakers in parliament. Early indications reported by Al Jazeera show turnout among Arab voters reached around 80 percent. [1][3]

With over 84 percent of the votes counted on Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported that the Arab-led parties, the Joint List and Ra'am, were on track to win a combined 17 seats in the 120-member Knesset. Other projections noted by Al Jazeera suggested the parties could take up to 18 seats, prompting celebrations in Arab towns such as Lod, Kafr Manda, and Tayibe. The New York Times and The Washington Post both report that voters turned out in record numbers to express opposition to the government. [2][3][4][6][7]

Addressing supporters at Likud party headquarters in Jerusalem early on Wednesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that Likud was the largest party in the election. France 24 noted that Netanyahu listed military achievements since the October 7 terror attacks and urged rivals to support him. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that Netanyahu had previously accused Arab voters of raiding polling stations. [1][5]

The election follows a decision by Israel's Supreme Court to overturn a ban on Arab parties running in the race, as FTMQ News reported earlier. Arab citizens make up approximately one fifth of the population of Israel, which was established following the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. [11][12][13]