Israeli Democrats leader meets Arab party head to form change government

Coalition talks

Israeli opposition Democrats party leader Yair Golan met Thursday with United Arab List (Ra’am) leader Mansour Abbas to discuss accelerating the formation of a government to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration following Knesset elections that left the incumbent’s bloc short of a parliamentary majority. In a post on the social media platform X accompanied by a photograph of the two men, Golan said the meeting was held "to promote quickly a government of change and to realize the will of the Israeli voter," though he did not specify where the talks took place.

Opposition strategy

"This is a time for action. Our responsibility is not to miss the opportunity for change," Golan said in the social media post. The meeting comes amid efforts by Israeli opposition leaders to form a new government after Netanyahu’s bloc secured only 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset — short of the majority needed to govern. Golan has urged leaders of the opposition Change bloc to reconsider their positions on cooperation with Arab parties, while Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman maintains his opposition to forming a coalition with Arab parties.

Golan previously expressed support for including Ra’am in a future government. The Israel Hayom newspaper reported Thursday that Golan also held meetings with Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot and opposition leader Yair Lapid as part of political coordination following the election.

Electoral arithmetic

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said Thursday that vote counting had been completed, with Netanyahu’s bloc securing 53 seats, the Change bloc 48 and Arab parties 19 in the 120-member Knesset. Ra’am won eight seats, while the Joint List secured 11. Together, the Change bloc and Arab parties hold 67 seats — a potential majority — but the Arab parties are not formally part of the Change bloc, leaving the possibility of an alternative government dependent on political understandings among the parties.

Final results are expected next Wednesday, after verification procedures are completed. Abbas had not commented on the meeting as of late Thursday.