Arab-led parties in Israel are projected to secure up to 18 seats in the Israeli parliament following a historic surge in voter turnout among Palestinian citizens, exit polls indicate. Updated polling data from Tuesday's election shows that the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot and the faction led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are locked in a tight race with 51 seats each, plunging the Israeli regime into a potential political impasse.

Early indications revealed that voter turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel reached approximately 80 percent, shattering previous records set back in 1999. Mansour Abbas, leader of the Ra'am party, stated that under the current numbers, forming a stable government remains exceedingly difficult, noting that both major political blocs had reached out to his party before and after the vote. Analysts point out that coalition-building will face immense hurdles because mainstream Jewish-led parties previously pledged during the campaign not to partner with Arab factions.

Throughout election day, Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners engaged in frantic efforts to mobilize their base by warning against the surging turnout of Palestinian voters. Witnesses reported that vehicles flying Likud party flags drove through Jerusalem broadcasting warnings and urging supporters to cast ballots because "Arabs are voting." Arab politicians roundly condemned these tactics as racist and inflammatory, designed to stoke fear among the Jewish electorate.

The Central Elections Committee reported an overall voter turnout of 77.7 percent, the highest since 1999. Observers noted that this unprecedented mobilization among Palestinian citizens—who make up roughly 21 percent of the population—reflects an existential push to counter systemic discrimination and state-level marginalization entrenched by numerous Knesset laws.

Source: www.aljazeera.com