Could Arab-led parties join Israel's next government after the 2026 election, according to the BBC?

BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale said the bar is high but not impossible. With about 90% of votes counted, Arab-led parties looked set for an unprecedented 19 or so seats, and on paper Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc could outnumber Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition with their backing. But most Jewish opposition parties ruled out such a coalition during the campaign, and the Arab parties are likely to bring a long list of demands.

• Maha Saba of the Arab party Balad said it would negotiate only with Eisenkot's bloc, on condition of advancing equality and tackling crime in Arab communities.
• Landale recalled a precedent around 2001, when a government briefly relied on an Arab bloc's support.
• The legacy of October 7th still hangs over whether Zionist parties will sit with Arab parties.

▸In their words

“cooperation cannot be unconditional and it cannot come at the expense of our principles.” Maha Saba · at 6:50 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Global News Podcast (2026-10-29). Read the whole episode summary →

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