Netanyahu Labels Alliance with Arab Parties a ‘Disgrace and a Shame’ as Exit Polls Signal Deadlock

According to a report by Al-Jazeera on October 28, 2026, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly ruled out forming a government that depends on Arab parties, describing such an arrangement as “a disgrace and a shame” after exit polls from Tuesday’s election indicated a hung parliament.

Speaking late Tuesday at Likud party headquarters in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said it was “simply forbidden to endanger Israel and form a government that rests on anti-Zionist Arab parties.”

He accused the Arab parties of opposing Israel’s existence, regarding Hamas as a charitable organisation and describing IDF soldiers as war criminals.

“How can you talk about an alliance of those who serve while you join hands with those who attack the very people who serve, the soldiers of the IDF? … A shame and a disgrace,” he said.

Exit polls released by major Israeli broadcasters showed that neither Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc nor the opposition camp led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot had secured the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.

Projections generally placed Netanyahu’s bloc at around 51–52 seats, while the opposition was expected to secure approximately 49–51 seats. Arab parties, including the Joint List and Ra’am (United Arab List), were projected to win a combined 17–19 seats, potentially marking a record high.

The strong turnout among Arab voters has placed the two lists in a potentially decisive position in coalition negotiations. However, both Netanyahu and Eisenkot have publicly rejected formal alliances with the parties.

Netanyahu maintained that his side had a “decisive majority among the Zionist and Jewish public” and called for unity to establish a “strong national right-wing government.” Final results remain pending as vote counting continues.

The election, the first since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, has left Israel facing potentially weeks of complicated coalition negotiations amid deep political divisions.

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