The Arab world expressed satisfaction over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to emerge as the clear victor from the second round of elections in Israel and the Joint Arab List’s success.
The Joint List’s 12 mandates are the “advent of the Palestinian political power” which will safeguard the “Palestinian issues,” Palestinian Authority (PA) sources said while admitting to working on the party’s behalf.
The PA’s Foreign Ministry expressed hope that the Israeli public will elect a leader who “will be committed to peace,” and Islamic elements in the Gaza Strip said dismissed the elections and said they were committed to “the resistance as the proper path.”
Voices in the Arab world celebrated the end of Israel’s right-wing government, the death of President Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century” diplomatic plan, and the growing political power of Israel’s Arabs.
Joint List leader Ayman Odeh may become the first Arab Opposition Leader in Israel’s history. As such, he will be entitled to periodical security updates, a Shin Bet security detail, meetings with official delegations and the right to address the Knesset immediately after the prime minister.
Fatah and other PA elements openly intervened in the voting process. However, PA Minister and senior Fatah official Hussein al-Sheikh tweeted Wednesday that the elections were “an internal Israeli affair” and emphasized that the PA is “seeking a true peace partner who will end the occupation and who believes in a two-state solution in accordance with international legitimate decisions and agreements.”
Hassan Asfour, a journalist with ties to Fatah, mocked the factions in Gaza which called for a boycott of the elections in Israel, saying they did not understand the Joint List’s potential to serve as “a protective belt for the Palestinians.”
Asfour further charged the boycotters of enabling the “racist” right-wing in Israel, which tried to rescind the Arab’s right to vote. The Joint List’s success was “a victory over fascism,” he claimed.
He also lauded the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) for its call to vote for the Joint Arab List.
Arab social media users celebrated Netanyahu’s “failure” at the polls and the possibility that he may be sent to prison for his corruption cases. They also celebrated what they termed as the end of Trump’s Deal of the Century, which they believe can be realized only by Netanyahu.
Mouman Aziz, how has ties to the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, said that “the Zionist elections will not legitimize Zionists for their presence on our land,” and emphasized that “there is no difference between the Zionist governments, which are united in hostility towards our people and our country.”
The “resistance will remain the most effective option,” he said.