Protesters rally outside Eisenkot's home with calls to include Arab parties in coalition

OCTOBER 29, 2026 22:04Protesters gathered outside Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot's home in Herzliya on Thursday, urging the opposition leader to form a government with Arab parties following the release of Israel's election results, which left neither political bloc with a Knesset majority.The demonstrators chanted, "There is no change without partnership," calling on Eisenkot to cooperate with Arab parties to prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from forming another government.Among those attending the demonstration was Amir Badran, deputy mayor of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, who expressed support for a political partnership between the opposition and Arab parties.The completed vote count left Netanyahu's bloc with 53 seats, compared with 48 for the four main opposition parties, 13 short of the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. Eisenkot's Yashar emerged as the largest opposition party with 21 seats, behind Netanyahu's Likud, which secured 27.Arab parties may hold key to potential opposition governmentThe results have put the Arab parties at the center of potential coalition negotiations, with their combined 19 seats potentially offering a path to an alternative government.Amir Badran, deputy mayor of Tel Aviv Yaffo, son of a Jewish mother and Palestinian, Muslim father, at the demonstration near Gadi Eisenkot's residence in support of a partnership with the Arab-Israeli parties. October 29, 2026 (credit: Vardit Alon-Korpel)The Joint List secured 11 seats, while Mansour Abbas's Ra'am won eight, bringing the Arab parties to a combined record 19 seats.For Eisenkot and his opposition allies to fulfill their campaign pledge not to join a Netanyahu-led government, cooperation with at least some of the Arab parties would likely be necessary, whether through a formal coalition or outside parliamentary support for a minority government.Ra'am, which previously participated in the Bennett-Lapid coalition, is considered a potential partner in such an arrangement.However, substantial political obstacles remain, particularly opposition from Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman, whose party secured seven seats.Liberman has reportedly distanced himself from his opposition allies and has rejected both joining a coalition with Arab parties and forming a minority government dependent on their support.His position could complicate efforts to assemble the parliamentary majority needed to replace Netanyahu, even if the other opposition parties reach agreements with Arab factions.Opposition leaders begin coalition talksWith the vote count complete, political leaders have begun meeting to explore possible coalition arrangements.Eisenkot met with B'Yachad chairman Naftali Bennett on Thursday, as well as Democrats chairman Yair Golan, as negotiations over the formation of the next government began taking shape.Golan, who has publicly supported cooperation with Arab parties as part of efforts to form a government without Netanyahu, also met with Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas on Thursday to discuss building a political partnership and exploring possible arrangements for establishing an alternative government.Follow us on Google