Arab Parties Make Major Gains in Northern Israeli Cities as Turnout Surges
Final 26th Knesset election results reveal a major political shift in northern mixed cities like Nof HaGalil and Acre, where surging Arab turnout propelled Arab parties forward while local Jewish votes remained fragmented.
The final results of the 26th Knesset elections, following the complete count of all ballots including those in Nof HaGalil and Acre, reveal a significant demographic and political shift across northern Israel. Roughly 70 years after the city was founded to strengthen the Jewish demographic presence in the valleys, complete tallies show that the Joint List secured the most votes in Nof HaGalil, pushing Likud into second place. According to Central Bureau of Statistics data from late 2024, Nof HaGalil's population stands at 47.3% Jewish, 40.4% Arab, and 12.4% classified as others. Voter turnout in the city surged from roughly 53% in 2022 to approximately 62%, driven by a major electoral mobilization in the Arab sector while the Jewish vote remained fragmented. A similar trend emerged in Acre, a mixed city where about 40% of residents are Arab. While Likud maintained its numerical strength in Acre, total votes for Arab parties surged by roughly 35%, jumping from 6,663 in 2022 to 10,213, with the Joint List and Ra'am finishing closely behind Likud.
These electoral shifts coincide with findings from a recent Direct Polls survey conducted for the Lev BaGalil organization, which indicated that about half of northern Arab residents support future changes to the status of sovereignty in the Galilee. Furthermore, 27% of respondents view Jewish settlement lands as Palestinian property and oppose the establishment of new Jewish communities, though 76% expressed strong support for cooperating with police to combat illegal weapons. Local leaders have voiced deep concern over these developments. Menachem Gendel, a member of the Nof HaGalil city council, warned that the election results serve as a glaring wake-up call and urged the incoming government to prioritize the Judaization of the Galilee as a paramount national mission. Ophir Shik, chairman of the Lev BaGalil movement, echoed these concerns, cautioning that without decisive state action, the region's Zionist character could be severely compromised.
