Netanyahu in a frenzy: Arabs cause a sensation in Israeli elections, thwarting his plans

As the results of the parliamentary elections in Israel approach their final count, tension on the political stage is intensifying. With 97 percent of the votes counted, neither the right-wing bloc led by incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor the opposition has managed to secure the necessary 61 seats to form a majority.

The biggest surprise of this election race has been the exceptionally high turnout of Arab citizens living in Israel. By securing 19 seats in parliament, they are becoming a key political force capable of deciding the formation or collapse of a new government in the country.

Why have Arab voters become so active?

Arabs, who make up at least 21 percent of Israel's population (nearly 2.2 million people), demonstrated a historic level of unity in this election:

• Impact of the situation in Palestine: The aggressive policy of the Netanyahu government in Palestinian territories and the anti-Arab statements of radical ministers (including Smotrich) forced the population to make their voices heard in a legal manner;

• Morning rush and Netanyahu's anxiety: From the very first minutes after polling stations opened in Arab-populated cities, a steady flow of people was observed. Seeing this activity, Netanyahu fell into a frenzy and was forced to call on his supporters via social media to "get out of the house and vote quickly";

• 19 mandates in parliament: This success of the Arab parties has provided them with the greatest leverage of influence on the Israeli political scene in recent years.

The crucial secret: over 400,000 "double-envelope votes"

November 4 has been set as the final deadline for announcing the official results. The main factor currently delaying the process is the votes of special categories of voters:

• Who is included: Military personnel, diplomats, hospital patients, prisoners, and citizens eligible to vote outside their place of residence;

• No permission for those abroad: Israeli citizens living abroad or traveling are not legally permitted to participate in the election;

• Why "double-envelope": Each ballot is placed in two envelopes. The first envelope is opened to verify the citizen's personal information and ensure they have not voted at their main polling station; only then is the vote in the second envelope added to the general count. For this very reason, counting more than 400,000 votes requires additional time.

Will the Arabs join the opposition, or will Netanyahu wiggle out of the situation again?

Currently, the main political intrigue revolves around a potential alliance between Arab deputies and the opposition:

• The condition of the "Joint List": Arab parties are ready to support an opposition coalition solely for the purpose of removing Netanyahu from power, but they do not wish to be part of a radical military bloc led by former Chief of Staff Eisenkot;

• Conflict within the opposition: A serious division of opinion is being observed within the opposition camp itself regarding the inclusion of Arab deputies in the government;

• Risk of new elections: If the opposition cannot reach an agreement with the Arabs and fails to form a coalition, the situation will again work in Netanyahu's favor: he may call for snap elections and attempt to retain power by citing the opposition's weakness.

The fate of parliament in Israel hangs by a thread. The period leading up to November 4 will determine whether a major political transformation will occur in the country or if another long-lasting governance crisis will begin.