If Arab parties are legitimate enough to participate in elections, they are legitimate enough to participate in government.

In an earlier essay for The Times of Israel, “The Opposition Must Be Prepared to Form a Coalition with Arab Parties After 2026,” I argued that the opposition’s path to power may require cooperation with Arab parties. That argument remains valid. Yet as another election approaches, the issue is no longer simply whether Arab parties might help form a coalition. The more pressing question concerns the opposition’s willingness to confront the political implications of that possibility.

The opposition’s problem is not primarily ideological. It is mathematical.

Israel’s fragmented political system makes coalition building more difficult than ever. Unless the opposition secures a decisive electoral breakthrough, it is difficult to see how it reaches the critical threshold of 61 Knesset seats without support from Arab parties. Yet many opposition leaders continue to behave as though they can simultaneously replace Benjamin Netanyahu and maintain a political quarantine around Arab participation in government.

This is not a strategy. It is wishful thinking.

No serious political actor can ignore the importance of Arab citizens within Israel’s electorate. Their votes matter, their representation matters, and their role inevitably figures in discussions........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)