Paradoxically, it is the Joint List and the Islamist party Ra’am that hold the key to the opposition’s chances of dethroning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The polls could not be clearer: Without these Arab parties, the anti-Netanyahu bloc will not reach the 61 mandates required for a Knesset majority. With their support, it could topple Netanyahu — whose own bloc of loyalists looks set to fall significantly short of a majority — virtually overnight.
Archiv: Knesset (legislative branch / Israel)
Two small Arab parties may decide Israel’s election
There are about 2.1 million Arab-Israelis, making up roughly 21% of the country’s population. Their interests tend to be represented by Ra’am and the Joint List, both of which have played a more prominent role in Israeli politics in recent years.
In the aftermath of the 2021 election, the Ra‘am party leader, Mansour Abbas, joined with opposition leaders from across the political spectrum to unseat Netanyahu. This made Ra’am the first independent Arab party to join an Israeli coalition.
Naftali Bennett’s government collapsed after one year, opening the door for Netanyahu to return.
Netanyahu’s far-right coalition on course to lose majority in Israeli elections, new poll suggests
“Israel’s election is not a single game, but a tournament — and election day is only the opening round,” Dr Nimrod Nir of Agam Labs told The Independent.
“Our polling suggests that neither bloc is likely to secure a governing majority, leaving three possible outcomes: a unity government bringing Netanyahu together with more liberal parties, an alternative coalition backed by Arab parties, or yet another election.
Israel’s Arab parties could be the kingmakers in its election
They are eager to change the government
Joint List makes Palestinian state a condition for post-election support
Hadash Party and Joint List chairman Prof. Yousef Jabareen has declared four central demands from the heads of the anti-Netanyahu bloc parties as a condition for negotiating support for an alternative government after the elections.
Among the demands: a plan to combat crime in the Arab sector, the development of Arab communities, a plan for young people, and a diplomatic horizon for establishing a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.
Netanyahu’s Electoral Strategy: Deadlock
(October 2, 2026)
An AI-generated Likud campaign video, which Netanyahu himself has shared, shows Eisenkot running toward a young man wearing an “Israeli unity” shirt who resembles his son Gal, who was killed in the Gaza war. At the last moment, the young man turns away from Eisenkot to embrace Mansour Abbas, the leader of the United Arab List (Ra’am). Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana has similarly said that “Eisenkot has no coalition without Abbas.” Such messages target so-called soft-right voters who might otherwise drift toward Eisenkot.
Election 2026: Lazar Research (Panel4All) poll
Published Sep 25, 2026 · 32 days before the election
120 seats
Right-religious bloc 49
Center-opposition bloc 55
Non-aligned 4
Arab parties 12
Yashar (Eisenkot) 22
Likud 18
Together (Bennett-Lapid) 13
The Democrats 11
Otzma Yehudit 9
Yisrael Beytenu 9
Joint List (Hadash-Ta‘al-Balad) 7
Shas 6
United Torah Judaism 6
Religious Zionism-Zehut 6
Ra‘am 5
People of Israel (Winter) 4
Reservists-Economic (Hendel-Zelekha) 4
Israel bans Arab parties from election: Who they are, why it matters
(September 26, 2026)
Israel’s Central Elections Committee has voted to bar the country’s two main Arab-majority political lists from next month’s parliamentary election, potentially leaving Palestinian citizens of Israel without their principal representatives in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset.
The committee also voted to disqualify Ofer Cassif, a Jewish politician from the Arab-Jewish Hadash party, and Sami Abu Shehadeh, the leader of the Palestinian nationalist Balad party.
Hadash: No to Netanyahu’s Eternal War
(June 8, 2026)
“The time has come to stop providing automatic backing for destructive policies that lead to endless bloodshed, and instead fight for diplomatic agreements, true security, and peace. No to war with Iran. No to Netanyahu’s eternal war.”
According to Hadash MK Ayman Odeh, “War is the last resort for those who have no answers. War is the last resort of those who fear facing reality. And no one fears reality more than the Israeli government and large segments of the opposition, who repeatedly rush to align themselves behind the government, even attempting to outflank from the right the most right-wing and dangerous government in the country’s history.”
“Were they truly brave, rather than warmongers, they would call for an immediate halt to the escalation and present an alternative to the public. And the alternative is clear: a peaceful agreement that ensures security for all peoples in the region and respects the national rights of both nations living on this land. It is impossible to keep running away from this issue. It is impossible to keep fearing to speak the truth. It is impossible to keep falling for the illusion that more wars will bring security. Therefore, I say here in the clearest possible way: No to war with Iran. No to the eternal war. Yes, to a peaceful agreement. Yes, to a different, safer, and more just future for all of us,” he agreed.
No opposition in Israel ‘when it comes to wars’
“There is not really an opposition in Israel when it comes to wars. When it comes to wars, to occupation, to apartheid, there is no opposition,” Gideon Levy, a columnist at Israeli newspaper Haaretz, told Al Jazeera.
“They all think the same. There is an opposition to Netanyahu in person, a very devoted one, a very decisive one. But not against the wars,” he added.
News 13 Poll: The Joint List Will Become the Third-Largest Faction with 16 MKs
The Joint List would become the third largest faction in the Knesset if elections were held today, according to the results of a poll broadcast last night (Monday, May 25) on Channel 13 News. According to the poll, the Joint List would win 16 seats, while Likud drops to 23 seats and “Beyachad” falls to 21 seats. In this scenario, Netanyahu’s extremist right-wing bloc drops to 53 seats, while the Zionist opposition bloc falls to 51 seats. To form an alternative government, the opposition parties would need the Joint List to secure a majority of 67 Knesset members.
The Bill to Dissolve the Knesset Passed Its Preliminary Reading; MK Odeh: ‘The Evil Govt is Ending its Path’
Earlier, a similar bill to dissolve the Knesset, introduced by the Hadash faction, was debated but failed, with 52 opposition lawmakers voting in favor and 61 against. “The worst government ever, responsible for bloodshed on a horrific scale, is coming to an end,” MK Ayman Odeh stated in the Knesset plenum while presenting his faction’s bill. “We are at a historic crossroads,” he emphasized
Hadash Announces Primary Elections and Push for Joint List Consolidation
During the session, political leaders, including the Communist Party of Israel Secretary-General Adel Amer and Hadash Secretary Amjad Shbita, addressed the regional political situation. Discussions centered on the fragile ceasefire, the risk of renewed war on Iran and Lebanon, and the concerning rise of internal fascism and ongoing occupation of Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian territories.
“The establishment of the Joint List is not merely a tactical maneuver,” Hadash stated in an official communique. “It is a fundamental mission to shift the political balance of power and intensify the struggle against the occupation.” In addition to election preparations, Hadash leadership issued a formal call for public mobilization. Activists and supporters are urged to participate in International Workers’ Day events on Friday, May 1, in Tel Aviv, on Saturday, May 2 in Nazareth and other localities.
New Poll: The Joint List Becomes the Third-largest Faction in the Knesset
Channel 13 also asked respondents how they would vote if Hadash and three Arab parties, Ra’am, Ta’al and Balad, ran together as the Joint List, as they have done in the past. In such a scenario, the Joint List would become the third largest parliamentary faction, with sixteen seats. Likud would shrink to 20 and Religious Zionism would rise to six, giving Netanyahu’s coalition a total of 53 seats, and Bennett’s party would shrink to 20 while Yashar Eisenkot’s and Democrats Golan’s parties would drop to eleven and seven, respectively, giving the Zionist opposition bloc a total of 51 seats. Hadash and the Arab parties pledged earlier this year to work to reestablish the Joint List, with little signs of progress.
“All those who supported, let alone proposed this bill, should be tried by The Hague.” Ofer Cassif, a member of the Israeli Knesset, has condemned the death penalty bill approved on Monday for Palestinian detainees, labeling it a “genocide law”
(video)
Will Israel’s Arabs reach the political Promised Land? – opinion
The trend in Arab politics is for the four main existing parties to reorganize as a “Joint List” for this year’s election. The aim is to both maximize turnout and prevent wasted votes (because of Balad, nearly 3% of ballots were thrown away last time, and together with a similar situation in Meretz, this handed victory to Netanyahu). Such a list is expected to win 15 seats or more, and even if it splits after the election, some of its components will want to participate in the government. If it’s formed by the opposition, support among Arabs would be overwhelming.
What the Joint List’s revival signifies for Palestinian politics in Israel
(January 28, 2026)
This is a historic event in a volatile political moment. Even before the publication of polls gauging the Joint List’s electoral strength — predicting that it could secure 15-16 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, making it the third largest force in Israeli politics — the popular demand for unity suggests the possibility for unprecedented voter turnout in Arab society.
Israeli news outlets described the renewal of the Joint List as “drama in the political system,” and rightly so. Such a scenario would alter the balance between opposing blocs and force Zionist parties across the spectrum — from Yair Golan’s center-left Democrats to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud — to recalibrate their strategies.
Polls: Joint List Wins 14-15 Seats
Polls show the Joint List gaining strength and win 14 to 15 seats in the next Knesset. Wednesday’s Channel 13 survey sees far-right PM Netanyahu’s Likud party gaining one seat and the Jont List win 15. As with previous surveys, without the Joint List parties’ support, both blocs fall short of securing the required 61-seat majority to form a ruling coalition
According to another poll, published on Thursday by the Zman Israel website, Joint list of Hadash and three Arab parties would win 14 of the Knesset’s 120 seats if elections were held today, continuing to prevent a parliamentary majority from the Zionist opposition parties.
Hadash MK Ofer Cassif Meets Jeremy Corbyn
(November 15, 2025)
British MP Jeremy Corbyn (left) meets Hadash MK Ofer Cassif, Nov. 12, 2025 (Photo: Al Ittihad)
Return of Joint List Takes Seats from Zionist Opposition
The Zionist opposition bloc achieves 57 seats, while the coalition bloc has 51, with the Joint List in the middle and the poll indicates that the opposition will not be able to form a government without the support of the Joint List. 48% of opposition voters support a government that would be externally supported by the Joint List. 37% oppose the move, and 15% answered that they do not know.
Hadash MK Ayman Odeh, said Friday during a meeting that “Hadash and Arab parties are moving to form a unified joint list to confront the fascist government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming elections.” “These elections are not just about arithmetic. They are a political and ethical battle to prevent the continuation of Netanyahu’s policies and those of his far-right extremist ministers,” added.
Coalition moves to kill charge central to Netanyahu corruption trial
In their statement, the bill’s sponsors described the offense as a vague legal tool that has long enabled prosecutors to target elected officials for behavior that is ethically questionable but not clearly criminal. They called for a “rapid legislative process,” framing the move as an overdue correction to what they labeled an overreach by law enforcement.
Critics say the bill appears tailor-made to benefit Netanyahu, who is accused of exploiting his public position for personal gain
Coalition advances bill to repeal criminal charge that Netanyahu is on trial for
Coalition lawmakers are advancing a bill to repeal the crime of fraud and breach of trust – one of the charges that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently on trial for.
UN chief condemns Israeli amendments targeting UNRWA operations
The UN Secretary-General has condemned amendments adopted by Israel’s Knesset to a law aimed at ceasing the operations of the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA), saying the measures must be immediately repealed.
The amendments, adopted on 29 December, to the Law to Cease UNRWA Operations “seek to further impede UNRWA’s ability to operate and carry out its mandated activities,” said a statement issued by the Spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“The Law and its amendments are inconsistent with the status and international legal framework applicable to UNRWA and must be immediately repealed,” it added.
Knesset extends order allowing IDF, Shin Bet to hack into private security cameras
(December 24, 2025)
The Knesset approved a one-year extension of a temporary order that authorizes the IDF and Shin Bet security service to hack into private security cameras without their owners‘ knowledge.
Although the temporary order originally stipulated that hacking into cameras would only be done in cases related to „significant military activities,“ the current proposal eliminated this condition so that the order would not be dependent on the state of war. However, the grounds for activating the order were reduced.
Ten Knesset members voted in favor of the order in the third and final vote, with no opponents.
Israeli parliament extends order allowing Israeli military, intelligence access into private security cameras
(December 24, 2025)
Israel’s Knesset approved a one-year extension of a temporary order allowing the Israeli military and Israeli intelligence agency Shin Bet to hack into private security cameras without owners’ knowledge, Haaretz reported.
The original order limited such access to cases involving “significant military activities.”
The updated legislation removed this restriction, allowing the order to be used regardless of a state of war, while narrowing the grounds for its activation. In the third and final vote, ten Knesset members supported the measure and none opposed it.
Israel‘s Knesset to vote today on bill to annex the occupied West Bank
TEL AVIV, October 22, 2025 (WAFA) – The Israeli Knesset (parliament) will vote on Wednesday on a bill to annex the occupied West Bank to Israel by imposing „Israeli sovereignty“ over areas there.
According to the Israeli public radio, „Kan,“ the head of the far-right „Noam“ party, Avi Maoz, will be the one who will submit the bill for a vote.