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Arab party leaders set out their role in Israel's deadlock

ABC's Caitlin Kelly interviews Yousef Jabareen and Mansour Abbas about their parties' leverage as Netanyahu seeks a route back to government.

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ABC News In-depth Story of October 31, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of ABC News In-depth's most watched videos since yesterday, with 27,463 views.

Will Netanyahu's long grip on power in Israel finally come to an end? | ABC News

Things we can learn from the video

Press to jump

0:54Netanyahu's political history provides context for the uncertainty over whether he can retain power.
3:56Eisenkot presents the election as an opening for change, but forming a government requires sufficient parliamentary support.
6:19Jabareen stresses his party's decisive position; Abbas says he wants to replace the right-wing government.
8:28Likud's opposition to Arab-backed coalitions accompanies reporting on complaints about voting obstacles in Arab communities.
10:39The title's question remains unresolved: negotiations, defections or another election could determine who governs.

"Our power in the Knesset is very decisive, is very crucial," Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen tells ABC correspondent Caitlin Kelly. His interview puts a voice to the question behind Israel's election deadlock: whether Arab-majority parties can help determine who governs.

ABC News In-depth's report adds direct interviews with Arab party leaders to the post-election coalition debate. Kelly explains why Benjamin Netanyahu's strong election result does not guarantee that Israel's longest-serving prime minister can remain in office.

Gadi Eisenkot, leader of Yashar, presents the result as an opportunity for change. "Israel is on the way to a new era," he says. But the report distinguishes that ambition from the parliamentary support needed to form a government, with Arab-majority parties holding pivotal seats.

Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List, is explicit about his objective: "We want to replace the right-wing government in every sense of the word." Kelly also visits Kafr Qasim to hear from residents, before examining Likud's objections to a coalition relying on Arab parties and reported complaints about voting obstacles in Arab communities.

The report includes a mushroom-cloud image labelled as AI-generated, not footage of an actual explosion.

Rather than answering its title with a prediction about Netanyahu's departure, ABC closes by laying out the unresolved possibilities: coalition negotiations, attempts to secure defections, or another election.