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Arab-led parties win record 19 seats, backing opposition

By Drooid · Oct 28, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Israel held a general election on Oct 27-28 2026 to elect the 120-member Knesset.
Exit polls showed Arab-led parties winning a record 19 Knesset seats, reflecting unprecedented Palestinian-citizen turnout.
Overall voter turnout reached 77.7 percent, the highest since 1999, with Arab participation about 80 percent.
United Arab List and Joint List leaders said they will replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and back an opposition coalition.

History

Israel’s first direct prime-minister election in 1996 saw Benjamin Netanyahu defeat incumbent Shimon Peres by just 29,457 votes (under 1% margin) and form a 66-seat coalition without Arab partners. That narrow win, amid a 68.5% turnout, showed how Arab voter participation could reshape coalitions—a dynamic echoed in the 2026 election, where turnout rose to 77.7% and Arab-led parties secured 19 Knesset seats.

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Israel’s first direct prime-minister election in 1996 saw Benjamin Netanyahu defeat incumbent Shimon Peres by just 29,457 votes (under 1% margin) and form a 66-seat coalition without Arab partners. That narrow win, amid a 68.5% turnout, showed how Arab voter participation could reshape coalitions—a dynamic echoed in the 2026 election, where turnout rose to 77.7% and Arab-led parties secured 19 Knesset seats.

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