Palestinians Could Decide Israel’s Election. But Their Parties Are at a Stalemate, by Samah Watad – 24 July 2026

From +972 Magazine

Core disputes over how to utilize political power may not be resolved in time to form a new Joint List — and competing parties are ready to capitalize.

Obada Shibly couldn’t take it anymore. After a teenager was shot to death at a grocery store in Jaffa in late June — one of more than 140 Palestinian citizens killed this year alone — the Palestinian healthcare worker took to Instagram to express his frustration. “Why does a 16-year-old boy, shot and covered in blood, scream one sentence before he dies: ‘What did I do?’” he asked in a video he posted to his account.

Then Shibly proceeded to direct his anger over the epidemic of organized crime plaguing Palestinian communities in Israel toward an explicit target: Arab members of the Knesset. “We, the people, decided that you should be one hand,” he declared. “Either you unite, or none of you should ask for our votes.”

Shibly’s video quickly went viral among Palestinian citizens, garnering over 14,000 likes and more than 678,000 views. His appeal captured a raw sentiment increasingly difficult for Palestinian politicians in Israel to ignore. With a national election set for October, pressure is mounting on the four Arab parties — Hadash, Balad, Ta’al, and Ra’am — to run as the Joint List, the alliance that once brought together movements with vast ideological differences and, at its peak in 2020, won a historic 15 Knesset seats.

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Samah Watad is a Palestinian journalist and investigative researcher based in Israel, covering politics and social issues.

Palestinians Could Decide Israel’s Election. But Their Parties Are at a Stalemate, by Samah Watad – 24 July 2026

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