Arab Parties Hold Key to Israeli Election Outcome
Neither major bloc secures clear majority as gang crime and discrimination claims influence Arab Israeli voters.
Sarah Connor
Arab parties could hold a critical balance of power in the upcoming Israeli general election.
Arab Israelis accuse the government of inaction on gang crime. The Israeli police confirmed its investigation into Hussein's murder remained active, adding it took "every case of violence and crime with the utmost seriousness."
Ministers face accusations of "systematic discrimination and incitement" against Arab Israelis, Suha Salman Mousa states. Civil society groups also claim disproportionate cuts to budgets for Arab communities.
Systematic discrimination and incitement.
The government states reductions are needed to fund wartime defence and security spending. Attacks by Jewish settlers in the West Bank are at an all-time high. Israeli settlements expand.
The right-wing Haredi bloc projects to win 52 to 54 seats, falling short of the 61 required for a Knesset majority. The opposition party Yashar projects to win the largest individual share of seats with 20.
Israel's Supreme Court overruled a decision by the Central Elections Committee to disqualify the United Arab List and the Joint List. Approximately three million voters will elect 120 members to the Knesset, casting votes for parties, not individual politicians.
A party must achieve at least 3.25% of the national vote to enter parliament. The publishing of election polls is illegal in Israel from Friday onwards, including on social media and in direct messages.
Exit polls will publish at 22:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on election day. The process of forming a government can take over a month, with potential for new elections if no coalition forms. Many mainstream Israeli politicians have historically advocated for a two-state solution, though support for this has declined.