Arab parties offer key backing to coalition seeking to end Netanyahu's rule

A historic Arab voter turnout has given Arab-led parties new influence in Israel, with the Joint List signaling willingness to support an anti-Netanyahu coalition in a break from precedent. The move could help end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long rule. Ahmad Tibi, a senior Joint List member, said the bloc would back an anti-Netanyahu government without joining it, offering outside support to Jewish-led factions. The Joint List won 11 seats and Ra'am won 8, making them crucial to forming a majority against Netanyahu's 53-seat coalition. The partnership faces hurdles, as Jewish-led parties view the Joint List with suspicion over its rejection of Israel's Jewish identity and refusal to brand Hamas a terrorist group. Netanyahu's opponents, led by Gadi Eisenkot, won 48 seats and must decide whether to accept Arab support.