Golan urges opposition to build coalition with Arab parties after Netanyahu bloc falls short
Democrats chairman argues the opposition has 65 seats including Arab lists, enough to form a government.
By Nicholas James ·
The 2026 Knesset election results shifted the balance of power in Israeli politics, leading opposition leaders to argue that a new government can now be formed without Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, stated on Wednesday that the Netanyahu-led bloc lost the election. He calculated that the opposition bloc reaches 65 seats when Arab parties are included, which exceeds the 55 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
“Netanyahu lost. I know how to count to 120. 65 is more than 55. That's how Israeli democracy works. Period,” Golan said. He called for the inclusion of Arab parties in the government, noting that if Netanyahu attempts to form a Zionist-only bloc, he should subtract the 16 Knesset members from non-Zionist Haredi parties from his count.
Golan emphasized that the opposition holds a majority and an opportunity to create a government of change in partnership with Israel's Arab citizens. He described this as a responsibility to serve all Israeli citizens.
MK Gilad Kariv, also of The Democrats, agreed that Israel faces a new political reality following the election. He noted that the fully right-wing coalition lost seats and likely cannot form a government in its previous configuration. Kariv stated that a substantial majority of voters, by a margin of hundreds of thousands, voted against Netanyahu.
Central Elections Committee data projects that two Arab parties, Ra'am and the Joint List, will win six and 12 seats respectively. The opposition bloc, which includes Yashar, B’Yachad, Yisrael Beytenu, and the Democrats, is expected to enter the Knesset with 47 seats. Golan's party, The Democrats, is projected to win nine seats in the 2026 elections.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
