Likud Blames Ben-Gvir’s Hardline Rhetoric for Record Arab Israeli Voter Turnout
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has reportedly blamed the hardline policies and rhetoric of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for prompting an unprecedented level of voter turnout among Arab citizens of Israel.
According to Israel Hayom, Likud believes the increased participation of Arab voters has strengthened Arab political parties, giving them potentially decisive influence over the election outcome.
The development has reportedly complicated calculations by Netanyahu’s allies, who had not fully anticipated the extent to which Arab voter turnout could affect the balance of power in the Israeli parliament.
With preliminary results indicating that Arab parties could secure a significant number of seats, their potential role in coalition negotiations may become crucial in determining which political bloc can form Israel’s next government.