Arab coalition leader sees historic chance for Israel
The gist
Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen said he is ready to join the 'Change' bloc to oust Benjamin Netanyahu.
Arab-led parties' projected 19 seats could give Arab voters unprecedented say in who governs.
How it unfolded
- Oct 27, 2026Exit polls by Israeli broadcasters suggested Raam and the Joint List may have won a historically large number of seats; final results were not yet announced.
- Oct 28, 2026With 88% of votes counted, Likud had 20.7%, Yashar 16.2% and Arab-led parties 15%; projections gave Arab-led parties 19 seats, with neither bloc reaching the 61 needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
- Oct 28, 2026Turnout reached nearly 78%, the highest since 1999; counting of an estimated half-million absentee ballots was to last until Thursday evening, said Elad Naveh of the Central Elections Committee.