Hundreds rally in Tel Aviv against exclusion of Arab parties from government

• Around 500 people gathered at Tel Aviv's Habima Square.
• Protesters demanded a government bringing together Jewish and Arab parties.
• A right-wing counterprotest is expected, amid unsubstantiated electoral fraud allegations.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in central Tel Aviv on Saturday, calling on opposition leaders to form a government with Arab political parties, as ‘Israel's’ latest election results leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opponents facing a difficult path to power.

Approximately 500 people assembled at Habima Square, where they called for Jewish-Arab political cooperation and rejected racial discrimination. Demonstrators chanted slogans including “Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies” and “No to racism, yes to partnership,” according to “The Times of Israel.”

The demonstration was organized by Standing Together, a grassroots movement promoting Jewish-Arab cooperation. A separate right-wing counterdemonstration is also expected at the square, with participants demanding an investigation into alleged electoral fraud. The counter-protest follows accusations by Netanyahu's Likud party that Arab parties had manipulated the election with assistance from foreign governments.

The demonstrations reflect growing pressure on ‘Israel's’ opposition to reconsider its longstanding reluctance to cooperate politically with Arab-led parties following Tuesday's parliamentary elections.

The results gave Netanyahu's opponents a combined 67 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 53 seats for his governing bloc. However, the opposition's total includes 19 seats won by Arab-led parties, while its Jewish-led factions secured only 48 seats, leaving them short of the 61 required for a parliamentary majority.

Arab parties have consequently emerged as potentially decisive players in efforts to replace Netanyahu, who has no straightforward path to securing another governing majority.

Despite the election arithmetic, several Jewish opposition leaders have resisted entering a coalition with Arab parties, exposing divisions within the anti-Netanyahu camp over whether removing the prime minister should take priority over longstanding political red lines.

The Saturday demonstration underscored demands from activists that Arab voters' electoral gains translate into meaningful political representation, rather than being excluded from negotiations over the country's next government.

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