Conditional Euphoria

Nahum Barnea analyzes the mood in the Arab public after the elections: 19 seats, an unprecedented sense of power, but community leaders know the achievement is conditional. Intensive talks between the Change Bloc and the Arab factions, alongside fear of repeat elections. Barnea criticizes Eisenkot for normalizing Smotrich and describes the change in Arab society under Ben Gvir and the wave of crime.

Nahum Barnea analyzes the political situation after the elections: the Arab factions won 19 seats and prevent the Netanyahu bloc from forming a government. Arab community leaders feel power but know the achievement is conditional – if the Netanyahu government is not replaced, everything will evaporate, as Jamal Zahalka says. Barnea describes intensive talks between the Change Bloc and the Arab factions, and notes that Lapid says Eisenkot adopted a phased approach: first the Knesset, then the Lithuanian faction, Likud, and Religious Zionism. The gap between Eisenkot and Netanyahu, according to Barnea, can only be bridged by betrayal. Barnea criticizes Eisenkot for normalizing Smotrich. The Arab public, he writes, has changed following four years of Ben Gvir and the wave of crime – 201 Arabs have been murdered since the beginning of the year. Mansour Abbas is the leading leader. Likud MKs are calling Arabs and offering billions for village development. Tibi visited the Temple Mount and received extraordinary respect. Barnea estimates that Bennett will not oppose a government relying on Ra'am, and Lieberman may give in to avoid repeat elections.