Netanyahu says ‘forbidden’ to form government with Arab parties

Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, October 30, reiterated his opposition to forming a government with Arab parties, sharing a video compilation of remarks by Arab political leaders and opposition lawmakers.

In a post on X, Netanyahu shared excerpts from speeches and statements by several Arab politicians and lawmakers, including Ahmad Tibi, Iman Khatib-Yasin, Mansour Abbas, Sami Abu Shehadeh, Ofer Cassif, Yousef Jabareen and Ayman Odeh.

Accompanying the video, Netanyahu wrote, “It is forbidden to form a government with them.”

The footage features the politicians expressing support for the Palestinian cause, positions opposed by right-wing factions in Israel.

אסור להקים איתם ממשלה pic.twitter.com/LmHmN0SODF

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 30, 2026

Netanyahu’s remarks came after the final election results left his Likud-led bloc with 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, short of the 61 required for a parliamentary majority. Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc secured 48 seats, while Arab-led parties won 19 seats.

The results left all blocs short of a majority, setting the stage for coalition negotiations and the possibility of a prolonged political deadlock.

Lapid says ‘a win is a win’ despite falling short of majority

Opposition leader Yair Lapid described the election outcome as a victory for his bloc despite falling short of a parliamentary majority, urging supporters to remain patient as efforts to form the next government get under way.

In a post on X on Friday, Lapid said voter turnout reached 77.7 per cent, the highest since 1999. He also pointed to Netanyahu’s 53 seats, arguing that the prime minister had no clear path to forming a government.

“It’s not a knockout victory. It’s a points victory. That counts too. A win is a win,” Lapid wrote.

He argued that 13 of the 53 seats won by Netanyahu’s bloc belonged to parties that, according to him, declared they were not Zionist, leaving the prime minister with 40 seats from the remaining parties.

שעתם של השענים

ביום שלישי ב-22:00 כולנו הסתכלנו על המסך וחיכינו למספר אחד. 61. הוא לא הופיע. לא אצלנו, בטח לא אצלו.

אני יודע. גם אני רציתי נצחון בהיר, מיידי, כזה שהולכים איתו לישון. זה לא מה שקיבלנו.

מה כן קיבלנו?
77.7 אחוזי הצבעה, המספר הגבוה ביותר מאז 1999. העם בא.
נתניהו…

— יאיר לפיד – Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) October 30, 2026

Acknowledging the difficulties ahead, Lapid urged opposition supporters to allow negotiations to proceed without demanding immediate announcements.

“Forming a government is the exact opposite. It’s done in small rooms, slowly, without cameras,” he said.

Describing the current political phase as “the time of the watchmakers, not the gong-strikers”, Lapid indicated that discussions were continuing behind the scenes.

“If you want to know if something’s happening behind the silence you’re hearing now, the answer is yes,” he added.

Tibi offers Arab support to keep Netanyahu out of power

Separately, Ahmad Tibi, head of the Joint Arab List’s parliamentary bloc, urged opposition parties to form a government under Gadi Eisenkot, saying Arab lawmakers were prepared to support an alternative administration without joining it.

In an interview with Anadolu, Tibi accused Netanyahu of seeking another election to remain in power. He alleged that the prime minister wanted to continue leading a caretaker government while preparing for possible military action against Iran in coordination with US President Donald Trump.

“I think Netanyahu wants another election. For now, he wants to remain prime minister of the caretaker government,” Tibi said.

He called on opposition parties to announce their support for an Eisenkot-led government, adding that the Joint Arab List was willing to provide parliamentary backing through agreements with opposition factions.

Tibi stressed that his bloc did not intend to join the government but was prepared to facilitate its formation in exchange for commitments addressing the needs of Arab communities.

“The most important thing for us now is to bring down this government,” he said.

Tibi also described Arab voter turnout as a significant factor in preventing Netanyahu’s bloc from securing a majority. He said the Joint Arab List was open to coordinating with Mansour Abbas’s United Arab List (Ra’am) to support an alternative government.

Final election results to be submitted on November 4

Israel’s Central Elections Committee said the results could undergo minor corrections before the final count is formally submitted to President Isaac Herzog on November 4.

Political parties will have until November 18 to file complaints or legal challenges against the results. Herzog is expected to consult parliamentary factions before assigning a lawmaker the task of forming the next government.

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