Palestinian Authority Urged Arab Parties to Unite vs Netanyahu

Mohammed Majadele, a journalist for Israel's Channel 12 News, disclosed on Sunday during a radio interview that the Palestinian Authority is very worried about the possibility of another right-wing electoral victory in Israel.

Speaking on 103FM, Majadele explained that officials in Ramallah have been working behind the scenes to encourage unity among Israel's Arab political parties. The PA has faced significant economic difficulties and rising village violence since the current Netanyahu-Ben Gvir-Smotrich government took office, prompting them to pressure Arab party leaders to set aside their differences. When reporters approached PA officials about meetings in Ramallah with President Mahmoud Abbas, Majadele noted, they did not deny the encounters.

The pressure campaign from Ramallah focused particularly on Ahmad Tibi, head of the Ta'al party, after negotiations among the three main Arab parties, Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad, stalled over seat allocation on a joint slate. Senior PA officials reportedly urged Tibi to accept a compromise formula and remove remaining obstacles to reunification.

The message delivered to party leaders was direct: overcome internal quarrels and work together to "bring down Netanyahu." These efforts ultimately bore fruit last week when Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad announced they would run together in the upcoming elections, though without Mansour Abbas's Ra'am party.

According to the Channel 12 report, one senior PA official told Arab party leaders during the Ramallah discussions: "We cannot repeat the mistakes of previous elections and allow Netanyahu to return to power. You are missing a historic opportunity for our people because of internal feuds."