Yair Golan calls for gov’t with anti-Zionist Arab parties: ‘We have a majority’

Leader of the far-left Democrats Party claims election results are a mandate for a new government bringing together centrist, left-wing, and anti-Zionist Arab factions.

By World Israel News Staff

Democrats Party chairman Yair Golan called Wednesday morning for the formation of a new government supported by the Arab parties, arguing that the combined opposition holds a majority in the Knesset and urging other opposition leaders to abandon their refusal to cooperate with anti-Zionist Arab lawmakers.

In a post on X, Golan declared that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had lost Tuesday’s election, despite early official results showing Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc holding more seats than the four main opposition parties combined.

“Netanyahu lost. I know how to count to 120. Sixty-five is more than 55. That is how Israeli democracy works. Period,” Golan wrote.

The former IDF deputy chief of staff accused Netanyahu of attempting to delegitimize the votes of Arab citizens and argued that the opposition must be willing to rely on their representatives to establish a government.

“The reality must teach us one resounding lesson: We have no future here if we do not stop being afraid. And if we do not stop the racism,” he wrote.

“We must no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes.”

Golan also challenged Netanyahu’s argument that the election had produced a majority for the right among Zionist parties, pointing to the participation of the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties in Netanyahu’s bloc.

Golan claimed that the opposition held a 49-39 majority when excluding both the Arab parties and the ultra-Orthodox factions, and a 65-55 majority when counting all parties opposed to Netanyahu alongside those supporting him.

“The change bloc has a Zionist majority: 49 to 39. The change bloc has an Israeli majority: 65 to 55,” he wrote.

“We have a majority. We have a responsibility. And we have an opportunity to establish a government of change in partnership with Israel’s Arab citizens. A government that will serve all Israeli citizens.”

“Now we need courage. We need leadership. We need to stop being afraid and start acting.”

“Change government now!” Golan concluded.

Golan’s statement followed an election in which the predominantly Arab parties made substantial gains, complicating efforts by both Netanyahu and his opponents to assemble a parliamentary majority.

With approximately 66% of votes counted Wednesday morning, Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 54 seats, compared with 48 for the four main opposition parties and 18 for the two Arab parties.

Neither main bloc had the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.

Golan’s proposed arrangement would require cooperation between the opposition parties led by Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman and the predominantly Arab Joint List and United Arab List (Ra’am) factions.

However, Eisenkot, Bennett and Lieberman have expressed opposition to forming a government dependent on the Arab parties, leaving considerable obstacles to Golan’s proposal.

Golan has previously expressed support for including Arab parties in a governing coalition.

In September, he told Kan public radio that Arab participation in government was “natural, right, appropriate and democratic,” although his party subsequently clarified that his remarks represented its own position rather than an agreement among opposition leaders.

UAL chairman Mansour Abbas expressed a similar position early Wednesday, telling Channel 12 that he hoped his party could help the opposition replace Netanyahu.

“I hope we can change this government and that the numbers add up to 61 seats, the opposition bloc together with Ra’am,” Abbas said.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, addressed Likud supporters early Wednesday and called for the establishment of “a strong, right-wing national government,” rejecting the prospect of a coalition reliant on Arab parties.

Eisenkot also claimed a mandate to replace Netanyahu, but has not agreed to the arrangement proposed by Golan.

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