A new report from the UN Commission of Inquiry [12] on the Occupied Palestinian Territories finds that Israel has continued to commit "genocidal acts" in the Gaza Strip since the signing of a ceasefire with Hamas last October, and continues to carry out war crimes and crimes against humanity throughout the occupied territories.
The situation, alas, seems unlikely to fundamentally change regardless of the eventual outcome of the Israeli elections that took place Oct. 27. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party received the most seats, but does not have enough support to form a government with its far-right allies. The anti-Netanyahu bloc led by former [13] IDF commander Gadi Eisenkot also fell short of a majority. This puts Palestinian citizens of Israel—who constitute some 20% of the population, and who voted [14] in record numbers—in the position of potential kingmakers. However, most parties in Eisenkot's bloc are refusing [15] to enter into a coalition with the Arab parties—principally, the Joint List and United Arab List (Ra'am). Pro-coexistence activists [16] have marched in Tel Aviv to demand such a coalition, including in an Oct. 29 mobilization outside Eisenkot's home in the suburb of Herzliya, chanting "There is no change without partnership."
Netanyahu is meanwhile seeking to invalidate [18] the election results, claiming without evidence that Qatar interfered in the race. A Likud statement charged a conspiracy for a "foreign takeover of the Knesset, the Islamization of Israel, and the overthrow of right-wing rule."
The choice [19] for Eisenkot's bloc is clear: form a coalition with the Arab parties or allow Netanyahu to continue to rule. The fact that they may choose the latter reveals much about the consensus on Zionist precepts among the Jewish-led parties—and is related to the fact that opposition to the Gaza genocide and Israel's multiple wars and military interventions was not a plank for the Eisenkot bloc. Although mired in a corruption scandal [20] and facing an arrest warrant [21] from the International Criminal Court, the tenacious Netanyahu may yet retain power. (TNH [22], ToI [23], ToI [23], JP [24], PRI [25], CNN [26])
