Israeli Politicsupdated 1h ago2 min read
MapThousands Rally In Tel Aviv To Oust Netanyahu, Urge Deal With Arab Parties
“equating it to the October 7th attack”
“investigation into claims of voting fraud”
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL · Cropped for layout
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Rally in Tel Aviv urges opposition-Arab coalition to remove Netanyahu. Demonstrations demand Arab-party inclusion in government post-election.
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Rallies after election deadlock
Thousands of people rallied in Tel Aviv to urge Israel’s opposition to make a deal with Arab parties to remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with protesters describing the moment as the “last chance for real change” and calling Netanyahu a “great manipulator”. The election results left Netanyahu’s bloc with 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc with 48 seats in Israel’s 120-seat parliament, while Israel’s three Arab-led parties won 19 seats, creating a deadlock that neither side could solve alone.
Nour Odeh said from Ramallah that “People really want this vote for change to work out,” and she added that “Gadi Eisenkot and other leaders of the Jewish-Israeli parties need to listen to their voice.” Counter-protesters showed up in Tel Aviv as Netanyahu supporters shouted demands that “Israel should not have a government with so-called terrorists,” and the rallies unfolded as Israel’s Arab parties became potential kingmakers in coalition arithmetic.
Threats and competing narratives
Right-wing counter-protesters at Habima Square accused Arab parties of “stealing the election” and demanded an investigation, while Deputy Minister Almog Cohen said, “We won’t let anyone steal the elections.” Cohen also warned, “If you think we’ll let you sell the Jewish people’s only nation to the highest bidder, you are sorely mistaken,” and a sign hoisted next to him declared, “Arabs won’t dictate the Jewish character of the Jewish state.”
In a separate confrontation captured in footage uploaded by artist Yigal Shtayim, a right-wing protester threatened to “send you back to the chimneys of Auschwitz before you think about establishing a Palestinian state.” The Times of Israel described the counter-rally as a response to a larger left-wing march that chanted against racism and for Jewish-Arab partnership, while the right-wing speakers framed the issue as a defense against a coalition that relies on Arab parties.
Coalition math and next steps
The opposition bloc’s 67-seat majority depended on Arab parties, because the Jewish-led parties won 48 seats on their own, leaving them short of the 61-seat majority needed to form a government in the Knesset. The Vietnam.vn account said the opposition blocs won 67 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, with 48 seats for Zionist parties and 19 for the two Arab-led political alliances, and it described the slogan of the marches as “The majority voted for change.”
Yair Golan expressed optimism about forming a new government with Arab party support while ruling out a unity government that includes Netanyahu’s Likud, and he said the reform coalition “can and must form a government,” while also ruling out joining Netanyahu’s Likud national unity government. Avigdor Lieberman reiterated that “We will not sit with those who support terrorism,” and he refused to join any coalition that included the two Arab lists, leaving the opposition’s internal split as a central obstacle to turning the protests into a governing deal.