Full Breakdown
Makom Lekulanu: A New Jewish-Arab Party Aims to Challenge Netanyahu’s Coalition
6/16/2026, 8:33:51 PM
Background & Context
Standing Together, a Jewish-Arab coexistence group, expanded anti-war actions after the Oct. 7 attack, organizing cease-fire protests, protecting Gaza aid convoys, funding Bedouin bomb shelters, and shielding Palestinians from settler violence.
Key Figures & Groups
The party is co-led by Rula Daood and Alon-Lee Green. Candidates include Haifa city council member Sally Abed, Palestinian activist Ghadir Hani, and Yonatan Zeigen, whose mother Vivian Silver died on Oct. 7. The name Makom Lekulanu (“A Place for Us All”) signals a Jewish-Arab partnership.
Party Launch and Platform
At a press conference in Nazareth’s Rose Café, the founders announced Makom Lekulanu’s bid for the October Knesset election. The platform calls for Israeli-Palestinian peace, national and civil equality, social-justice policies, reduced violence in Arab communities, cost-of-living relief and climate-justice measures. The party positions itself as an alternative to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, which includes Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
Official Statements & Responses
Daood called the launch a “last moment to save our society.” Green said Israel faces a “critical juncture” between continued “ethnic cleansing and endless war” and a path of “life, peace and security for all.” Abed said the party aims to dismantle “arbitrary dividers” between Jewish and Arab leadership. Zeigen linked his mother’s death to a commitment to peace, noting abandonment fuels poverty and trauma. Hani said the party embodies hope for Jews and Palestinians seeking a shared political system.
Data & Statistics
Standing Together’s membership has grown more than tenfold since 2023. Israel’s electoral threshold is just over 3 percent; parties below it receive no seats and cannot join coalition talks. Green cited a poll stating “winning without Jewish-Arab partnership is impossible.” He noted that only one in four Palestinian citizens aged 18-24 plans to vote, a share he expects to rise to two in four with the party’s participation.
Criticism & Opposition
Right-wing activists have called the founders “traitors,” removed Gazan-children posters, and harassed members at home. Some left-wing voices warn the new party could split the anti-Netanyahu vote, risking failure to cross the electoral threshold and weakening opposition influence.
Why It Matters
If Makom Lekulanu mobilizes Jewish and Palestinian voters, it could reshape the 61-seat coalition needed to form a government, challenging Netanyahu’s dominance. Its focus on joint representation also tests the viability of a sustained Jewish-Arab partnership in Israel’s parliamentary system.
What’s Next
The party will campaign before the October election, focusing on youth outreach in Arab communities and rallies. Its vote share will decide if it secures Knesset representation and influences post-election coalition talks.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We are doing this because this is the last moment to save our society,” — Rula Daood, Co-founder, Makom Lekulanu
- “I have always been told, ‘You will be responsible for Arab society, and we will be responsible for Jewish society,’” — Sally Abed, Haifa City Council member
- “The only path to replacing Netanyahu is to maximize turnout among Jewish and Palestinian citizens and ensure that they vote for the same political bloc.” — Alon-Lee Green, Co-founder, Makom Lekulanu
- “But I am also saying yes. Yes to Israeli-Palestinian peace, yes to national and civil equality, yes to social justice.” — Rula Daood, Co-founder, Makom Lekulanu
