Golan urges opposition to form government with Arab parties after 2026 vote

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, called on the opposition bloc to form a governing coalition with Arab parties following the 2026 Knesset elections. Writing on Wednesday morning, Golan stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost the election because the opposition reached 65 seats when including Arab partners. He noted that 65 exceeds the 55 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.

Golan asserted that Israeli democracy requires the party with the most seats to form the government. He wrote, "Netanyahu lost. I know how to count to 120. 65 is more than 55. That's how Israeli democracy works. Period." He argued that if Netanyahu attempts to build a Zionist-only coalition, he should subtract the 16 Knesset members from the non-Zionist Haredi parties from his tally.

The Democrats leader emphasized that the opposition has a responsibility to form a government of change in partnership with Israel's Arab citizens. He described this as a chance to create a cabinet that serves all Israeli citizens, not just a specific demographic segment.

MK Gilad Kariv of The Democrats echoed this sentiment, stating that Israel faces a different political reality the morning after the elections. He wrote on X/Twitter that the fully right-wing coalition lost many seats and likely cannot form a government in its previous configuration. Kariv said the opposition grew stronger in representing both liberal Jewish and Arab constituents.

According to data from the Central Elections Committee (CEC), the opposition bloc, which includes Yashar, B’Yachad, Yisrael Beytenu, and the Democrats, is projected to win 47 seats. The CEC data indicates that Golan's Democrats is projected to secure nine of those seats. Arab parties are on track for a large representation in the new Knesset.

CEC projections show that the Arab party Ra'am will win six seats and the Joint List will win 12 seats. This brings the total potential coalition strength to 65 seats. Kariv noted that a substantial majority of voters, by a margin of hundreds of thousands of votes, voted against Netanyahu and his partners.

Kariv said that a large segment of the Israeli public, including those who serve, work, and contribute, expects leaders to make fateful decisions about the country's future. He urged the opposition to act together to prevent Netanyahu from continuing his current path, which he described as destructive over the past four years.