Israeli Politicsupdated 51m ago2 min read
Ameer Fakhoury Says Palestinian Turnout Could Reach 70% In Israel’s 2026 Election
“Since then, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has waged genocide in Gaza and violent apartheid in the occupied West Bank,”
“International donors will have certain basic expectations that will have to be met before they even discuss contributing funds to investment in the West Bank:”
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Palestinian citizens of Israel projected 64–68% turnout in 2026 election. Palestinian turnout is higher than prior cycles, signaling rising political engagement.
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Palestinian turnout rises
Massive numbers of Palestinian citizens of Israel are expected to vote in Israel’s 2026 election, with analyst Ameer Fakhoury saying turnout could range between 64 and 68 percent and “could even exceed the record numbers seen in 2020.” Fakhoury, an analyst at Israel’s Vanleer Institute think tank, told Middle East Eye that “There is genuine hope, and seemingly well-founded expectations, that turnout could approach 70 percent, or even exceed it,” and he said his information suggests “we are already at around 69 percent.”
Fakhoury linked the shift to Palestinians understanding that “this space, these internal restraints, has disappeared,” after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government waged genocide in Gaza and allowed crime to run rampant in Palestinian communities in Israel. Fakhoury argued that Israel’s Palestinian community has adapted to a changed political environment, saying “People now understand that this space, these internal restraints, has disappeared.”
Gaza watches the vote
In Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip, Mohammed Eliyan, 36, said Palestinians are watching the Israeli election to see “who will win in the next phase,” and he hoped for “some easing for the Palestinian cause and for us, who have been displaced again.” Eliyan said he hopes Gadi Eisenkot will defeat Benjamin Netanyahu, and he warned that if Likud and far-right allies win, it would mean more war and further displacement for Gaza’s people.
Islam Salem, 41, told Al Jazeera that “Israeli policy will not change in any way,” and he said “Whatever they take, they consider it theirs and a political gain for them, the gains of a war they have pursued for a long time.” Salem pointed to Israel’s continued control of about 65 percent of Gaza’s territory inside the “Yellow Line,” and he said he doubts reconstruction will begin soon because “They do not want to give others any rights.”
Statehood and security stakes
As Israelis head to the polls on October 27, The Conversation said Israel’s flat rejection of Palestinian statehood has not received serious attention during the campaign, even as 159 countries recognize Palestinian statehood. The Conversation said the ultra-nationalist government of Benjamin Netanyahu champions “destroying Hamas” while continuing to flatly reject Palestinian statehood, and it named finance minister Belazel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir as Netanyahu’s extreme-right partners.
The Conversation also reported that IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir issued a warning that “I am raising ten red flags before the IDF collapses into itself,” and it tied the pressure to deployments in Gaza, across the West Bank, and on Israel’s borders. In Folha de S.Paulo, journalist Yaakov Katz said voters ask “Who will keep me safe?” and Education Minister Yoav Kisch reinforced that continuity of the Netanyahu government is necessary to ensure Israel’s security, stating “This government will continue to drive Israel’s agenda with force and firmness, and ensure that no one threatens us.”