80 Percent Turnout Lifts Arab Knesset Share

Voter participation among Palestinian citizens of Israel reached approximately 80 percent during Tuesday's parliamentary election, according to early indications reported by Israel's Channel 12.

Exit polling data suggests that the Joint List and Ra'am, the two leading Arab-led parties, are projected to secure 18 seats in the 120-member Knesset. This figure represents a record number of seats for these blocs.

The high turnout breaks records set in 1999. The Central Elections Committee reported that overall voter turnout for the election also reached its highest level since that year, with 77.7 percent of eligible voters casting ballots.

Updated exit polls indicated a tie between the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party and the bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party. Each side is projected to hold 51 seats.

Mansour Abbas, the leader of Ra'am, stated his hope that final results will allow the anti-Netanyahu bloc to reach the 61 seats required to form a government. Abbas noted that his party, which currently holds five seats, has been contacted by both major blocs. He told Channel 12, 'With the numbers we have now, there is no government.'

Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli ambassador, said forming a coalition may be difficult for Eisenkot's camp. During the campaign, that party promised not to form coalitions with Arab parties. Pinkas argued that the Arab-led lists will make demands that a Jewish-led government might not support, adding that 'Arabs can't be kept outside.'

Netanyahu's coalition made final efforts on Tuesday to mobilize supporters, warning of the surge in Arab voter turnout. Witnesses reported cars in Jerusalem flying Likud flags while blaring the Islamic call to prayer. Netanyahu shared images of long queues in Arab communities on social media, stating, 'If we don't wake up now, we'll find ourselves with a government of Mansour Abbas and Ahmad Tibi.'

Palestinian citizens of Israel constitute about 21 percent of the country's population of 10 million. Nour Odeh, reporting from Ramallah, described the election as an existential moment, noting that even voters who typically boycott elections participated in this historic vote.