Balad Leader Slams Coalition Exclusion as 'Racism'

Sami Abu Shehadeh declared the refusal to include Arab parties in coalition negotiations racist on Tuesday. The leader of Israel's Balad party told Al Jazeera that Palestinian citizens, who comprise roughly one-fifth of the population, are being treated as illegitimate partners despite high voter engagement. "This is racism," Abu Shehadeh said. "We are a legitimate elected leadership of the national minority. The vast majority of our people decided that we are their leadership."

Current tallies suggest the Joint List will secure a record 19 seats. With 85 percent of the vote counted, the Central Elections Committee reports Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc holds at least 53 seats. The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot holds 48 seats. Neither side has reached the 61 seats required to form a government. Netanyahu claims voters selected a strong right-wing administration, while Eisenkot argues the electorate demanded change.

Abu Shehadeh did not stand as a candidate in this cycle. The elections committee voted to disqualify him following petitions that cited his support for armed struggle and his denial of Israel's Jewish and democratic character. He withdrew in October after a majority of the Supreme Court panel signaled it would approve the disqualification. He rejected the legal basis for his removal, stating the court demonstrated that Israel operates two different judicial systems, one for Jews and one for Arabs.

The Joint List's first priority is to prevent Netanyahu and far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir from returning to power. Abu Shehadeh expressed pride in the high percentage of the Arab Palestinian minority that voted. Nour Odeh of Al Jazeera reported from Ramallah that Netanyahu has scared off potential allies from speaking with Palestinian Israeli parties. This strategy positions Netanyahu to dictate terms, while Eisenkot has signaled a preference for a Zionist government that excludes Arab partners.

Former U.S. ambassador Danny Ayalon noted that Arab turnout reached unprecedented levels and that the parties will hold substantial clout. He stated that Eisenkot's bloc could mathematically combine with the two Arab parties to pass the governing threshold, though the process would require political wizardry. Yousef Jabareen, who leads the Joint List, said the alliance's hands are extended to remove Netanyahu from office.

Abu Shehadeh outlined the political goals of Palestinian citizens, including opposition to genocide and apartheid. He said the community wants to promote a political alternative based on freedom, justice, and equality for people living between the river and the sea. Regarding the prime minister, Abu Shehadeh stated, "Our problem … is that he is a war criminal."