‘The bad one leaves, someone worse comes’ - Gaza Palestinians reject hopes of change after Israel election
Key Takeaways
- Gaza residents question whether Netanyahu or Eisenkot would improve conditions for Palestinians.
- Some fear further displacement, while others believe an Eisenkot government could allow more aid and reduce fighting.
- Netanyahu's bloc is projected to win 54 seats, Eisenkot's 49 and Arab parties 17, with counting ongoing.
Palestinians in Gaza question whether Netanyahu or Eisenkot can improve their lives as Israel's election results point to a divided parliament with no clear majority.
Will a change in Israel's leadership make any difference to Palestinians in Gaza?
For some residents of the war-battered enclave, the answer is no, regardless of whether Benjamin Netanyahu or his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, forms the next government.
As Israel's parliamentary election results continued to emerge on Wednesday, Palestinians expressed doubts that either political camp would bring meaningful improvements to their lives.
"The bad one leaves and someone even worse comes along. Gaza will remain as it is, and their elections will change nothing for us. These elections concern them, not us Arabs."
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These were the words of Gaza resident Umm Awad Shabat, who dismissed expectations that a change in Israel's government would improve conditions in the enclave.
Another resident, Saeed Naim, argued that Israeli political priorities would continue to come at the expense of Palestinians.
"Israeli interests will not benefit us. On the contrary, their interests will always come at our expense," he said.
Naim, however, suggested that Arab political parties could gain some influence over government decisions if they united in Israel's parliament, the Knesset.
While several residents expressed little confidence in either political bloc, others acknowledged that a change in leadership could bring limited improvements.
Iyad Jouda argued that Netanyahu and Eisenkot shared similar political positions but believed an Eisenkot-led government might allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and reduce fighting.
He did not expect such a government to introduce major policy changes.
Maryam Al-Daabla expressed concern about the possibility of Netanyahu returning to power.
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She feared another government led by the incumbent prime minister could worsen conditions for Palestinians and lead to further displacement from Gaza and the West Bank.
The reactions came as Israel's election results indicated that neither major political bloc had secured enough seats to govern independently.
With 84.5 per cent of ballot boxes counted on Wednesday afternoon, Netanyahu's bloc was projected to win 54 seats in the 120-member Knesset.
Eisenkot's alliance was projected to secure 49 seats, while Arab parties were expected to win 17.
Both main blocs remained short of the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
