January 13, 2026 | Source: Ynet News
OPED: Voters Want Partnership
Ynet
January 13, 2026
By Michal Sella
A new campaign has emerged: Benny Gantz, who is scraping the electoral threshold, has found a scapegoat to smear — the Arab society. In a series of ads on websites and in videos, he talks about the need to protect 'our children’s security' and blatantly hints that those who endanger our children are Israeli Arab citizens. All of this is happening in a new climate in Israeli politics, according to which parties that were partners in the change government are forbidden from returning to cooperate with the Arab parties. Reminder: the only reason the change government was formed was the cooperation with Ra'am and Mansour Abbas.
It is even more puzzling when it is almost clear to everyone that the only chance these parties have of seeing the government from the inside again depends almost entirely on their ability to cooperate with Arab parties or gain their support from outside the coalition. So how is it that Lapid, Gantz, and Bennett declare everywhere that it is forbidden to cooperate with parties representing a fifth of Israel's citizens? This statement is neither democratic nor moral; it deprives a large segment of Israeli citizens of the legitimacy to participate in the political game, it is a shameful surrender to Netanyahu and Ben Gvir—but above all, it undermines almost every interest of the centrist parties and their leaders who fantasize about a government but are unwilling to sit down with the natural partners to form it.
This strange contradiction is usually explained by an analysis of the holy base. Some of us justify the political suicide of the leaders of the change government by arguing that after October 7, their base is unable to imagine an Arab party in the coalition, so they mainly just read polls and keep their voters in line through a political boycott. However, the "Partnership Index"—the annual survey we recently conducted in Givat Haviva—shows different data regarding centrist voters and supporters of the change bloc, clearly indicating that the leaders of the change bloc can point their voters to the only way to replace the current government, instead of fearing leadership.
We asked, "Do you support or oppose involving an Arab party in the coalition?" and when we analyzed the data according to worldview, we saw that among centrist voters, 41% support involving an Arab party in the coalition, 47% oppose it, and 12% don’t know. When we analyzed the data according to voting intentions for the Netanyahu bloc or the change bloc, we found that 43% support involving an Arab party, 48% oppose it, and 8% don’t know.
These data show that there is no clear preference among centrist voters in one direction or another, but rather openness to political and moral guidance from their leadership. About half of the political center base and the Change Bloc support cooperation with an Arab party to varying degrees, about half oppose it, and there is a not insignificant group that is unsure or ambivalent. Additionally, an overwhelming majority of 58% of those identifying as centrists and 56% of those reporting they will vote for the Change Bloc do not hold absolute positions on this issue, but only 'somewhat oppose' (about 26%) or 'somewhat support' (about 33%) such a move. These are people who can follow positive messages from their political leadership.
The question that will decide the upcoming elections will be the ability of centrist leaders and leaders of the Change Bloc to take on the role of leaders and not just figureheads, and to understand that they can influence their voters and point them to the only path that will allow political change and renewed revival. Mathematically, ideologically, and morally, cooperation with the Arab parties cannot be ruled out, and every fifth Israeli should not be excluded from the political game. Centrist voters show that they are open to the idea, as do voters of the Change Bloc. They deserve leadership that knows how to count and, most importantly, how to lead.
Michal Sella is the CEO of Givat Haviva - The Center for Shared Society.