Liberal American Jewish leaders are calling on Israel’s opposition parties to join forces with Arab political groups to form a coalition government capable of unseating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This appeal follows Israel’s recent elections, which produced a fragmented Knesset with no clear majority.
In the election held Tuesday, Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats, while the main opposition alliance led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats. Both groups fell short of the 61-seat threshold necessary to establish a governing coalition. Meanwhile, the two Arab parties, the Joint List and Ra’am, nearly doubled their representation to a combined total of 19 seats, marking a significant shift in the Israeli political landscape.
Neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor Eisenkot’s “change” alliance has publicly indicated willingness to include Arab-led parties in government coalitions, a position reflecting longstanding tensions and especially sensitive in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks by Hamas. Nevertheless, American Jewish voices urge a reconsideration of this stance.
Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the liberal Zionist advocacy group J Street, highlighted the high voter turnout of nearly 78% and the historic electoral participation by Arab citizens. He emphasized the importance of including Arab representatives in Israel’s democratic process. “This is a moment for the Jewish opposition parties to demonstrate genuine leadership by reaching out to the Arab parties and working together to form an alternative government,” Ben-Ami said, adding that excluding roughly 20% of the population undermines Israel’s democratic fabric.
Dan Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel during the Obama administration, saw the election outcome as an opportunity for political change. He suggested that cooperation with Arab parties could help prevent far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich from retaining their current level of influence, an outcome he and others view as potentially harmful to Israel’s stability.
Echoing this call, Gabriel Epstein of the Israel Policy Forum argued that partnership with Arab parties would not only be politically necessary but also beneficial for greater integration and democratic legitimacy within Israeli society. Meanwhile, the activist group Israelis for Peace NYC praised the record Arab Israeli voter turnout and credited it with delivering a setback to Netanyahu’s coalition. However, the group criticized opposition leaders for what it described as "deep-rooted, unexamined, and systemic racism" in their refusal to form a coalition with Arab parties.
Despite these appeals, some analysts highlight significant obstacles to such a coalition. Jacob Stoil, a Middle East security expert at the U.S. Army War College, pointed to political and ideological divides that complicate including both Arab parties in government. The Joint List opposes recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and is unwilling to serve in a Zionist-led government, while members of Eisenkot’s bloc have pledged not to partner with Arab parties. Ra’am, an Islamist party, has previously participated in a coalition and may be open to doing so again.
Stoil suggested a possible compromise could take the form of a minority government relying on Arab parties to support it without formal coalition membership, though he warned this arrangement could hamper legislative effectiveness.
Jewish Federations of North America released a neutral statement emphasizing shared democratic values between Israelis and North American Jews and pledged ongoing engagement across the political spectrum. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) similarly commended Israel’s diverse electorate for participating in free and fair elections, framing the turnout as a testament to democratic commitments common to both nations.
As Israel faces a political impasse, American Jewish communities remain engaged observers, reflecting a range of perspectives on the prospects and challenges of future coalition-building efforts involving Arab political parties.