What role do Palestinian Israeli parties play in politics? | Inside Story
Analysis: Ahead of Israel’s October 27 general election, analysts from the European Council on Foreign Relations and Knesset members dissect the political marginalization of the 1.2 million Palestinian citizens who comprise 20% of Israel’s population. The discussion reveals that Israel’s mainstream opposition leaders—including Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Avigdor Lieberman—oppose Benjamin Netanyahu personally while endorsing his military campaigns in Gaza and the West Bank, even as the Israeli Supreme Court disqualified Balad party leader Sami Abu Shehadeh. This internal crisis matters because high Palestinian voter turnout could deny both the pro-Netanyahu and opposition blocs a governing majority, exposing deep fractures within Israel’s domestic political and judicial order.