Arab Party’s Split Could Pave The Way For Netanyahu To Form Government

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In a dramatic last-minute development which occurred in the last hour before the deadline for submitting Knesset lists for the forthcoming Israeli elections, the Joint Arab list split apart, with the Balad party splitting from Chadash-Ta’al and submitting a separate list.

The party had run as a joint list in the last few elections, garnering six mandates in the previous elections but refusing to join the Bennett-led government. In the current elections, the Likud has been stressing that the left-wing parties would have to rely on the anti-Zionist Joint Arab list to form a government. Many left-wing MKs denied such a possible government, despite their willingness to cooperate with Ra’am, the other Arab party led by Mansour Abbas which participated in the previous government.

Balad is the most extreme left-wing party in the Arab sector, demanding that Israel dismantle all settlements, allow right of return for former Palestinians and establish a Palestinian state whose capital is Jerusalem.

After the Arab parties split, it is unlikely that Balad will pass the Knesset electoral threshold but at the same time it will weaken the other Arab lists and this may enable the right-wing parties to attain a majority of 61 seats and form a government.

At the same time the new Zionist Spirit list headed by Ayelet Shaked has gained some momentum and is now closer to the electoral threshold. A poll taken by the “Direct Polls” political pundits estimated Thursday that the right-wing could reach 61 mandates, with Likud receiving 34 mandates, Religious Zionism 11 mandates, Shas 9 and UTJ 7 mandates. The poll showed prime minister Lapid receiving 22 mandates, the National Camp (Gantz) receiving 12 mandates, Yisrael Beitenu 6 mandates, Labor and Meretz 5 mandates each and the Arab parties Chadash-Taal and Raam receiving 5 and 4 mandates respectively.

Ayelet Shaked was closest to the electoral threshold (3.25%) with 2.4%. Shaked has stressed that she will join a right-wing bloc and will not cooperate again with left-wing parties.