Where Israel's Arab parties stand
The gist
Israel's Arab-led parties won a record 19 of 120 Knesset seats in the 2026 election.
Neither main bloc can reach a majority without them, yet both refuse.
How it unfolded
- Oct 27, 2026Israel holds legislative elections, its first since the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks; an Arab citizen casts his ballot in Umm al-Fahm.
- Oct 27, 2026Exit polls initially put Gadi Eisenkot's anti-Netanyahu bloc on 54 seats, about five ahead of Netanyahu's alliance; within hours the positions had almost reversed.
- Oct 28, 2026Updated exit polling put the Eisenkot and Netanyahu blocs tied at 51 seats each, while projections for the Arab parties ranged from 17 to 18 seats.