Netanyahu warns of high Arab voter turnout, urges Likud supporters to vote in Israeli elections

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday issued an urgent appeal to supporters of his Likud party to vote in the country’s general elections, warning of high turnout in Arab communities and the possibility of a left-wing government supported by Arab parties.

“Buses are heading to the polling stations, and huge lines are being reported in Arab communities,” Netanyahu wrote on US social media company X.

“Meanwhile, the right-wing strongholds are not waking up!” he added.

Netanyahu warned that unless his supporters mobilized, Israel could end up with what he described as “a government of the Arab parties.”

“We must not stay home. Every vote counts!” he said, urging voters to cast their ballots for Likud.

In a separate post, Netanyahu issued an “emergency appeal” to Likud voters, calling on them to ensure their relatives, friends and neighbors also reached polling stations.

“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 comes as Israelis voted Tuesday to elect the 120-member Knesset, with Netanyahu seeking to retain power against an opposition camp led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot.

Opinion polls ahead of the vote indicated that neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition was assured of securing the 61 seats required to form a government, raising the possibility of complicated coalition negotiations.

Arab parties, which represent citizens making up around 20% of Israel’s population, have expressed willingness to provide parliamentary support for an Eisenkot-led government without formally joining the coalition.

Such support would be conditional on measures addressing concerns of Arab citizens of Israel, including halting home demolitions, combating crime and opening a political horizon with Palestinians.

Eisenkot has not publicly committed to accepting the proposal and has previously ruled out including Arab parties in his governing coalition.