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Several demonstrations are scheduled to take place across Israel on Saturday evening in support of forming a coalition government comprising Jewish and Arab parties.
Earlier, on Thursday night, dozens of people gathered outside the home of Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar Party, holding placards and banners calling for such a coalition.
The demonstrations come amid political uncertainty following Israel’s parliamentary election on Tuesday. According to the final results, no party or political bloc secured the 61 seats required to form a government in the 120-member Knesset.
The protests have been organised by a group called Standing Together. The group argues that Arab votes should carry the same weight as Jewish votes and that Arab citizens must be given an equal role in shaping the country’s future.
Organisers said rallies would be held at 7:30 pm on Saturday at Habima Square in Tel Aviv, Paris Square in Jerusalem, as well as in Beersheba, Haifa and Tayibe.
In the election, the governing coalition of right-wing Jewish parties led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secured 53 seats. Meanwhile, the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats.
The opposition alliance, known as the Change Bloc, comprises four parties: Eisenkot’s Yashar, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid’s B’Yachad, Yair Golan’s The Democrats, and Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu.
Two Arab-led parties, the Joint List and Ra’am, secured 11 and eight seats respectively. This brings the total number of seats won by parties opposing Netanyahu’s government to 67, exceeding the governing coalition’s tally.
The organisers said protesters wanted coalition leaders to recognise their electoral victory and form a government based on Jewish-Arab partnership.
“An expression of the Jewish-Arab majority that voted for change must also be reflected in the next government. Now is not the time to retreat from partnership; rather, it is time to turn it into a political force capable of changing reality,” the organisers said.
Israel is scheduled to officially announce the election results on November 4. However, coalition negotiations have already begun following the release of the final figures.
Before the election results were announced, Jewish parties had said they would not enter into any form of coalition with Arab parties. However, the political landscape has shifted following the stronger-than-expected performance of the Arab parties.
