Netanyahu Urges Likud Supporters to Vote Amid Arab Turnout Concerns
"Buses are heading to the polling stations, and huge lines are being reported in Arab communities," Netanyahu wrote on X.
"Meanwhile, the right-wing strongholds are not waking up!" he added.
Netanyahu cautioned that failure by his supporters to vote could result in what he described as "a government of the Arab parties." He urged Likud voters to participate, saying, "We must not stay home. Every vote counts!"
In a separate message, the prime minister issued an "emergency appeal" to his party’s supporters, encouraging them to make sure their family members, friends and neighbors also went to the polls.
"Today, no one stays home. No beach, no barbecue," he wrote.
"At stake is the future of our Jewish state: a strong right-wing government or a left-wing government supported by the Arab parties," Netanyahu added.
His appeal came as Israelis voted to elect the 120 members of the Knesset, with Netanyahu seeking to remain in office amid a challenge from an opposition bloc led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot.
Pre-election opinion polls suggested that neither Netanyahu’s political alliance nor the opposition camp was certain to win the 61 parliamentary seats required to form a government. The uncertainty raised the prospect of difficult coalition negotiations after the results were announced.
Arab parties, which represent citizens accounting for approximately 20% of Israel’s population, have indicated that they could support an Eisenkot-led government from outside the formal coalition.
Their proposed backing would depend on steps to address issues affecting Arab citizens, including stopping home demolitions, tackling crime and creating a political path forward with the Palestinians.
Eisenkot has not publicly agreed to the proposal and has previously rejected the idea of including Arab parties in his governing coalition.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
