Israel: protesters demand Arab-Jewish unity government after election

Left-wing activists blocked roads as they marched through the city, prompting police officers to move in and disperse them. Demonstrators confronted police, chanting slogans and sitting down on the road, while others trampled on a campaign poster of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Some shouted "Ben Gvir lost!" in reference to far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, while a placard in Hebrew declared "Arabs and Jews - Only together will we win". The march reflected calls among the demonstrators for Jewish and Arab political cooperation to break the electoral deadlock. The inconclusive result has left Netanyahu and opposition parties searching for a parliamentary majority, with parties representing Israel's Arab population potentially playing a decisive role in coalition negotiations. Protesters argued that a government involving both Jewish and Arab parties offered a path to political change. Others carried a banner accusing Israel of being an apartheid state rather than a democracy, reflecting their criticism of the country's political system. As demonstrators continued marching with megaphones and banners, police maintained a presence along the route. No governing coalition had emerged from the election result.