The Hadash-led Joint List, which includes the Communist Party of Israel (Maki), has welcomed its strong showing in Israel’s parliamentary elections held on Tuesday, October 27, describing the preliminary results as a significant achievement for the political representation of the Arab-Palestinian population in Israel.
According to partial results released on Wednesday, October 28, the Joint List was projected to secure approximately 11 seats in the 120-member Knesset, marking an important electoral advance.
For comparison, the Hadash-Ta’al alliance won six seats in the 2022 elections. The renewed strength of the Joint List, alongside increased participation among Arab voters, represents a significant development for the forces advocating equality, peace and Jewish-Arab cooperation.
Speaking to the Arabic-language television channel Al-Ghad, Joint List chairman and Hadash leader Yousef Jabareen described the preliminary election results as a historic achievement in terms of Arab voter participation and parliamentary representation.
Jabareen stressed that removing the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich remains a central political priority. However, he emphasized that the objective must go beyond a mere change of political leadership.
The Joint List, he explained, seeks genuine changes in government policies, particularly concerning equality for Arab citizens, the struggle against organized crime, increased funding for Arab municipalities, housing rights and the recognition of unrecognized villages. He also underlined the need to reopen a political horizon for negotiations with the Palestinian leadership.
Regarding possible cooperation with opposition forces seeking to replace Netanyahu, Jabareen made clear that the Joint List would not offer unconditional support. Any political understanding, he stressed, must be based on concrete commitments addressing the rights and needs of the Arab-Palestinian population. Meanwhile, Ofer Cassif, a Communist Party of Israel lawmaker elected on the Joint List, warned against another round of elections, telling Army Radio that “More elections would be a gift to Netanyahu. The ball is in the hands of the change bloc,” referring to the opposition forces led by Gadi Eisenkot.
The election results provide a renewed parliamentary platform for Hadash and the Communist Party of Israel, whose political activity has consistently emphasized Jewish-Arab solidarity, opposition to racism and occupation, and the struggle for peace, equality and social justice.
As the counting of votes continues, the Joint List’s electoral gains underline the growing political weight of Arab voters and their potential influence on Israel’s future parliamentary balance.
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