\n
<\/p>\n
TEL AVIV: Hundreds of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday to urge the opposition to ally with Arab parties to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has gone on the offensive against the minority group\u2019s leaders.<\/p>\n
Arab-majority parties made major gains in Tuesday\u2019s election, fueled by anger over rhetoric targeting the community from Netanyahu\u2019s hard-right government, but opposition chief Gadi Eisenkot has not decided whether to seek a coalition with them.<\/p>\n
Joining a rally in Tel Aviv, Ayelet Raz said that the Arab community, which accounts for around 20 percent of Israel\u2019s population, had a right to political participation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the last chance for real change,\u201d the 60-year-old psychologist said, warning that Netanyahu, Israel\u2019s longest-serving prime minister, was a \u201cgreat manipulator.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to give peace a chance,\u201d she said. \u201cOtherwise we\u2019ll have this bloodshed forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inconclusive election results<\/strong><\/p>\n Tuesday\u2019s election was inconclusive, with neither bloc reaching a majority in Israel\u2019s 120-seat parliament.<\/p>\n Jewish-majority parties opposed to Netanyahu, known by his nickname Bibi, won 48 seats, while two Arab-majority parties, Raam and the Joint List, secured a combined 19 seats.<\/p>\n An alliance between the two camps would potentially give the anti-Netanyahu bloc a comfortable majority of 67 seats, but the idea is opposed by some parties in the opposition bloc.<\/p>\n \u201cArabs and Jews will only win together\u201d and \u201cThere is a majority for change\u201d read some of the signs held by around 500 protesters in Tel Aviv.<\/p>\n \u201c67 \u2014 United we stand, divided we get Bibi\u201d and \u201cWhy not, really \u2014 unless we are racist?\u201d read some of the placards at the 100-strong rally in Jerusalem.<\/p>\n Arab parties have only once formally sat in an Israeli government, when Raam leader Mansour Abbas joined a short-lived coalition that lasted from 2021 to 2022.<\/p>\n He has voiced a willingness to do so again.<\/p>\n The Joint List\u2019s Yousef Jabareen, meanwhile, has told AFP he is willing to support Eisenkot in parliament without joining his government, citing, among other concerns, the war in Gaza.<\/p>\n Eisenkot, 66, a former military chief and political novice, largely shares Netanyahu\u2019s views on security issues including Gaza, which Israel has reduced to rubble since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.<\/p>\n Eisenkot reiterated on Saturday that he would only form a \u201cZionist government\u201d whose members commit to the \u201crecognition of Israel as a Jewish, democratic and liberal state\u201d and to the \u201crecognition of Hamas as a terrorist organization,\u201d conditions that Arab leaders have previously refused to accept.<\/p>\n While he has said he does not want a government dependent on Arab lists, Eisenkot has not explicitly rejected their external support.<\/p>\n \u201cI want them (the opposition bloc) to go ahead to be brave and do the right thing,\u201d said demonstrator Sharon Balaban, 55, a video artist in Jerusalem.<\/p>\n Yair Golan, leader of the left-wing Democrats has enthusiastically supported the prospect of a government backed by Arab parties, saying it would be racist to exclude them, and on Thursday met Abbas.<\/p>\n But Avigdor Liberman, leader of the right-wing anti-Netanyahu Yisrael Beitenu party, has said he will not enter a coalition that relies on Arab parties, even for external support.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoever wants to rely on supporters of terrorism, let them. Yisrael Beiteinu will not be there,\u201d he wrote on Facebook on Friday.<\/p>\n On the sidelines of the demonstration in Tel Aviv, more than 100 Netanyahu supporters staged a counter-protest.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the Right, or Palestine,\u201d they chanted, repeating a slogan from Netanyahu\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cThe two Arab parties are for Hamas,\u201d said Rebecca Schindler, 60. \u201cThey want to make Israel an Arab country.\u201d<\/p>\n Nava Rehavia, 70, called on Eisenkot and Liberman to join a Netanyahu-led coalition and said: \u201cThe Arabs did not win, because they stole the election.\u201d<\/p>\n Netanyahu sought to raise allegations of electoral fraud during voting day, saying Arab parties had been caught with envelopes of cash.<\/p>\n Police said they had arrested three suspects, but the election commission described the incident as an isolated local case.<\/p>\n Netanyahu later raised allegations that Arab politicians improperly received support from Qatar.<\/p>\n Collaboration with Arab parties would be \u201ca disaster for Israel,\u201d Netanyahu posted on social media on Saturday.<\/p>\n President Isaac Herzog is expected to grant a party leader a mandate to form a government within 28 days by Thursday, with a possible 14-day extension.<\/p>\n The negotiations come as Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have hinted at a new attack on Iran, which could help Netanyahu run out the clock until new elections.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n