Supporters of Israel’s Arab-led Joint List political alliance cheer at the alliance’s campaign headquarters in the northern Israeli city of Nazareth on October 27, 2026, as the first exit polls are announced.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Israel’s October 27 legislative elections recorded a massive voter turnout of 77.7%, the highest since 1999. The country’s Arab citizens, who turned up in massive numbers to vote, remained one of the main factors, contributing to the surge.
While the official figures for voter turnout among Israeli Arabs are yet to be released by the Central Elections Committee, exit polls recorded by Channel 12 estimate Arab voter turnout to be nearly 80%. This implies that the voter turnout among Arab citizens in Israel would be the highest in at least a decade.
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While Arabs account for about 21% of Israel’s population, the parties representing them have never held more than 15 seats in the 120-member Knesset. Their turnout in the elections has also been relatively low, with about 40% of eligible Arab adults abstaining from voting in most Knesset elections over the past two decades.
“In the previous elections, I think the low voter turnout was a result of disappointment mainly from Arab parties themselves. We know that approximately 10% of Arab citizens boycott Knesset elections for ideological reasons, but the majority are reluctant to take part in this political game because of the conduct of their parties,” said Arik Rudnitzky, from the Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem.
This trend was defied in the latest election. “I believe the number one motivator specifically in these elections is fear. Fear of another term of the Netanyahu government or a right-wing government because Arab citizens have had enough in the past four years,” Mr. Rudnitzky told The Hindu.
‘Life and death’
This surge was used by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition to mobilise right-wing voters. Mr. Netanyahu, on his X, called on his supporters to vote for Likud and described the situation as a “matter of life and death”.
His posts tried to mobilise voters by calling the situation “a war at home.” This attempt was criticised by Arab parties for being racist and for inciting hatred.
A survey by the Israel Democracy Institute published in September revealed that a party’s position regarding foreign affairs and security, followed by the economy and high cost of living, were the two most influential factors determining the support of Jewish Israelis.
In contrast, more than half of the surveyed Arabs felt that the party’s position regarding crime in Arab society was one of the most important factors determining their vote.
A large voter turnout among Israeli Arabs is expected to benefit the Arab parties, thereby improving the chances of Arab representation in the Knesset committees and better policies or support for them. This is evident in the exit polls and latest numbers which have put Arab parties leading in at least 17 seats in the Knesset
However, it is also true that not all Arab citizens support Arab parties. “In general, approximately 15% of the Arab or Arab citizens support non-Arab parties, Jewish parties. Most of them support centrist parties. Also the Democrats headed by Yair Golan enjoy relative significant support in the Arab sector,” said Mr. Rudnitzky.
Latest numbers also show that neither the Netanyahu-bloc nor the Opposition coalition is set to secure a clear majority, meaning that Arab parties could hold the key as to who forms the government this time.
Published – October 28, 2026 11:07 pm IST
