In short:
In Israel's election, Arab parties won a record 19 seats in the 120-seat Knesset — up from 10 seats in the previous election.
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parties → win → election
The historic shift was driven by a surge in turnout among Arab voters.
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shift → drive → voters
Some voters say the result has exceeded their "wildest dreams" but others doubt it will lead to meaningful change.
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it → say → change
When schoolteacher Ranya Farhat voted in the Israeli election for the very first time this week she, like many Arab Israelis, did not believe it would affect the outcome.
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it → vote → outcome
But on Tuesday a record turnout of Arabs, many of whom identify as Palestinian citizens of Israel, tipped the political scales and turned the Arab-majority parties into kingmakers in a deadlocked result.
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many → identify → result
Votes from Bedouin communities also surged, with some drawing attention on social media for riding camels and donkeys to polling places.
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some → surge → places
"It's making a difference this time," Ms Farhat says.
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Farhat → make → difference
Their main motivation was toppling Benjamin Netanyahu's government and sending a clear message about its policies towards the Palestinian population, both in Israel and in the occupied territories.
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motivation → topple → territories
Ms Farhat believes hatred towards Arabs had reached a "persistent" all-time high under the current government, driven by extremist cabinet members.
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hatred → believe → members
"Voting serves as a demand for full equality in citizenship, asserting that these rights are an obligation of the state, rather than a 'grant' contingent upon political loyalty," she says.
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she → serve → loyalty
In Tarabin, a Bedouin village in the Negev Desert, where Netanyahu's Likud party had the majority vote in the past two elections, turnout nearly doubled and secured a win for the United Arab List party.
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turnout → have → party
Some of these communities are not recognised by the government and are often cut off from access to basic services.
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Some → recognise → services
They are among the most economically isolated in the country.
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They → isolate → country
But it was the turnout among first-time voters and women, like Ms Farhat, that was a particular surprise to Amnon Be'eri-Sulitzeanu, co-executive director of the NGO, Abraham Initiatives, which engages with Arab communities.
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which → engage → communities
These groups, along with the Bedouin communities, are typically considered to be the "weaker links".
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groups → consider → communities
"It's a democratic achievement … a clear sign of eagerness … for civic and political engagement of the Arab citizens," Mr Be'eri-Sulitzeanu says.
"
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Sulitzeanu → say → citizens
It exceeded our wildest dreams."
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It → exceed → dreams
The kingmakers that will be hard to ignore
Netanyahu's coalition and that of his main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, failed to secure majority in the election.
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coalition → ignore → election
They are now scrambling to find new alliances to form government.
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They → scramble → government
Both had vowed not to work the Arab-majority parties but after they secured a record 19 seats in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, their significant leverage will be hard to ignore.
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leverage → vow → parliament
Amir Badran, a member of the Hadash party (now part of Joint List), describes the situation as "political checkmate".
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Badran → describe → checkmate
"Nobody wants to collaborate or to make any coalition with Arabs, just for the simple fact that they are Arabs, nothing more," he says.
"
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he → want → fact
Now, they are a huge political force … and none of the blocs are able to do a coalition without the Arab votes.
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none → do → votes
But Mr Badran fears the sentiment towards Arabs means this could be their last chance to vote.
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this → fear → Arabs
"The racism reached a point that Arab minorities can clearly see the day coming … where Arabs do not have the right to vote," he says.
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he → reach → right
Amnon says the Arab community has "had enough of politics … that doesn't bring concrete achievements".
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that → say → achievements
"They want to be engaged in the political system … and to play the political game … and engage in constructive politics and bring results," he says.
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he → want → results
The Arab parties, despite previous objections to working with Jewish-Israeli parties over Gaza and the West Bank, are making moves to help oust Netanyahu.
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parties → work → Netanyahu
The United Arab List (UAL), a party with roots in the Islamic Movement, recruited former lawmaker and deputy public security minister Yoav Segalovitz — a Jewish Zionist — as the number two candidate.
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List → recruit → candidate
Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen and party member Ahmad Tibi said they were extending a hand to the opposition and would do what they could to bring down Netanyahu and his coalition.
But Mr Be'eri-Sulitzeanu says the opposition fell into Netanyahu's trap and "made this commitment that is not moral, not democratic and makes no political sense, that they won't sit with the Arabs".
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they → say → Arabs
What drove voters to the polls
Netanyahu's camp has been running an anti-Arab campaign, which has ramped up with allegations the parties "stole" the election.
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parties → drive → election
It has used the slogan "Right or Palestine" — a phrase that rhymes in the original Hebrew "yemin o falastin" — in an attempt to paint the opposition as against Israel.
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that → use → Israel
Before the polls had even closed, the Netanyahu camp began claiming Arabs were "stealing" the election and posting AI-generated content urging right-wing voters to "get out" in an "emergency".
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Arabs → close → emergency
Then came the calls for an investigation and later allegations of foreign interference involving Qatar.
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calls → come → Qatar
Mansour Abbas, head of UAL welcomed the probe to preserve the "purity" of the elections.
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Abbas → welcome → elections
Eisenkot supported the investigations, but accused Netanyahu of manipulating public opinion, delaying publication of the results and casting doubt on the legitimacy of the incoming Knesset.
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Eisenkot → support → Knesset
The vilification of Israeli Arabs ensued across social media, and politicians from Zionist Israeli parties played up the language of danger and fear.
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politicians → ensue → danger
The anti-Arab sentiments are not new to Arab-Israelis who voted out of frustration with the current government's policies.
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who → vote → policies
Most of this community are descendants of families that remained in the newly established Israel in 1948, and have faced decades of hostility and racism.
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that → remain → hostility
Many complain of facing worse conditions in their municipalities when compared to Jewish counterparts, including funding cuts, higher crime rates, poorer education levels and fewer economic opportunities.
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Many → complain → cuts
…and 27 more, not listed.
The Aporia
