Coalitions, Hamas, and the West Bank

Summary

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Ark News Daily — “Coalitions, Hamas, and the West Bank”

Host: Deborah Pardes
Date: May 12, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of Ark News Daily provides a concise and insightful review of three interconnected developments shaping Israeli politics, Middle East geopolitics, and the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

• The crucial role of Mansoor Abbas and Arab parties in Israel’s upcoming election coalitions,
• Escalating tensions and diplomatic failures with Hamas in Gaza,
• Newly-imposed European Union sanctions on Israeli settlers and the deepening crisis of violence in the West Bank.

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1. Israeli Election Coalitions & the Role of Mansoor Abbas

[00:04–02:52]

• Mansoor Abbas’s Political Influence:

  • Deborah Pardes introduces Mansoor Abbas—leader of the conservative Islamist Ra’am party—who was the first Arab party leader to join an Israeli government and recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
  • “By most accounts, he's the most consequential Arab politician in Israel's history.”
    — Deborah Pardes, 00:43
  • Recently, Abbas endorsed several key opposition leaders: Naftali Bennett, Gadi Eisenkot, and Avigdor Lieberman, calling them “responsible and statesmanlike.”
  • This support poses a dilemma for Israel’s opposition; to defeat Netanyahu, they likely need Abbas and Ra’am, but such a coalition is unpopular with much of the Jewish Israeli electorate, especially the right-leaning swing voters.

• Public Opposition to Arab Party Inclusion:

  • “According to polling by the Israel Democracy Institute, more than 70% of Jewish Israelis oppose including Arab parties in the government. That number rises to over 80% among voters on the right.”
    — Deborah Pardes, 01:38
  • Historically, Arab parties and Zionist parties did not form coalitions, but the 2021 Bennett-Abbas coalition broke this taboo.

• Impact on Election Strategy:

  • Opposition leaders are distancing themselves from Ra’am while focusing on Netanyahu’s alliances with ultra-Orthodox parties, who have blocked military draft reforms—a contentious issue after years of war and ongoing military mobilization.
  • “The question ahead is how much Abbas’s comments will impact voters and the troubled opposition coalitions. One thing is for sure, Netanyahu will exploit it politically.”
    — Deborah Pardes, 02:52

Notable Quote

Amit Segal, Ark Media contributor, on the last election’s outcome:

• “Since the last government formed by Bennett and Lapid included an Arab party for the first time in Israel's history, the number one issue of the election was either you support a coalition with the Arab parties or not. And since the answer was a resounding no, especially by the right wing, the outcome was an outright victory for Benjamin Netanyahu.”
  — Amit Segal, 02:29

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2. Hamas, Ceasefire Collapse, and a New Diplomatic Crisis

[02:52–05:43]

• Intelligence on Hamas:

  • A classified Israeli intelligence document revealed Hamas is actively rebuilding military strength through recruitment, weapons production, and training exercises—a “significant leap” in capabilities.

• Collapse of Ceasefire & Diplomatic Breakdown:

  • Efforts by the U.S.-led Board of Peace to disarm Hamas formally collapsed as Hamas demanded Israel first withdraw and guarantee a future Palestinian state—directly contradicting the peace plan’s terms.
  • The U.S. and Board of Peace responded by warning:
    • “If Hamas fails to accept the disarmament framework, Israel's ceasefire commitments become null and void. That means no obligation to halt strikes and no obligation to ensure aid enters the Strip.”
      — Deborah Pardes, 04:41

• Potential for Renewed Conflict:

  • Israeli advisor Michael Eisenberg summarized expectations:
    • “There's an easy way and a hard way. Everyone prefers the easy way, which is Hamas… delivers the weapons. But if they don't, there's a hard way too.”
      — Michael Eisenberg, 04:59
  • Next government will face ongoing escalation as Hamas grows stronger daily.

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3. EU Sanctions on West Bank Settler Violence

[05:43–09:39]

• EU Sanctions after Years of Delay:

  • The EU unanimously sanctioned four Israeli settler organizations and three individuals, including high-profile settler leader Daniela Weiss. The decision followed Hungary’s regime change and was delayed for over a year by previous vetoes.
  • “Extremism and violence carry consequences.”
    — EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, 06:22

• Israel’s Response:

  • Settler group Regavim called the sanctions a “badge of honor.”
  • The EU also sanctioned Hamas leaders in the same package—a move condemned by Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, as making “a completely distorted moral equivalent between Israeli citizens and Hamas terrorists.”
    — Deborah Pardes, 06:55

• Escalation of Settler Violence:

  • At least 40 Palestinians killed in the West Bank since the year’s start, with 11 attributed to settlers, surpassing all of 2025.
  • The IDF warns of a violent group operating “without restraint,” primarily the small radicalized group known as the Hilltop Youth.

Notable Quote — Historical Roots of West Bank Violence

Yossi Klein Halevi explains the ideological lineage:

• “The founding ethos of Gush Emunim was that they were empowered by God to take the law into their own hands… Now, that opens the way to lawlessness. But there's a missing link… That's the Jewish Underground of the early 1980s. It was a terrorist group. They plotted to blow up the Dome of the Rock. They planted bombs on Arab buses… The settlement movement at the time was traumatized, and most repudiated the underground. But you had a strong minority that referred to them as Tuve Banenu, the best of our youth.”
  — Yossi Klein Halevi, 07:46

On Terminology and Severity

Amit Segal calls for specificity:

• “People… are against the usage of the word terror because it compares what Hamas has done to a gang of some, I don't know, 200 Israeli offenders. However, since I think that it should be treated severely… There is a phrase in British: calling a spade a spade.”
  — Amit Segal, 09:16

• Political Obstacles:

  • Enforcement is limited by political pressure from far-right government ministers (Itamar Ben-Gvir oversees police; Bezalel Smotrich controls civilian administration).

• Consequences and Outlook:

  • France, Sweden, and the Netherlands are pressing for trade restrictions; the EU-Israel association agreement—crucial for trade—may be at risk if violence continues.

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4. Memorable Quotes and Moments

• “By most accounts, he's the most consequential Arab politician in Israel's history.”
  — Deborah Pardes, 00:43
• “There's an easy way and a hard way. Everyone prefers the easy way… But if they don't, there's a hard way too.”
  — Michael Eisenberg, 04:59
• “Extremism and violence carry consequences.”
  — Kaja Kallas, via Deborah Pardes, 06:22
• “Calling a spade a spade.”
  — Amit Segal, 09:39

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5. Key Timestamps

• 00:04–02:52 — The Mansoor Abbas dilemma and implications for Israeli opposition
• 02:52–05:43 — Hamas’s resurgence, diplomatic deadlock, and escalation risks
• 05:43–09:39 — EU sanctions, roots and fallout of West Bank settler violence
• 07:46 — Historical context of settler radicalism (Yossi Klein Halevi)
• 09:16 — Debates over labeling settler violence as terror (Amit Segal)

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Summary:
This episode explores the bind facing Israel’s opposition, the growing prospect of renewed war with Hamas, and the international community’s tipping point on West Bank violence. Through expert commentary and exclusive reporting, the show highlights the complex interplay of coalition politics, security dilemmas, and the deepening divide both within Israel and internationally regarding the conflict’s future.

Transcript

[A]

You are listening to an art media podcast. It's Tuesday, may 12th. This episode was recorded at 7pm new york time on Monday. I'm deborah pardes and this is ark news daily. With Israel's election just a few months away, the the opposition to Netanyahu has a problem and his name is Mansoor Abbas. He's an Arab dentist from the Galilee and leads Israel's Islamist conservative Arab party, ra'.

[B]

Am.

[A]

In 2021, he made history by becoming the first Arab party leader to formally join an Israeli government. He was also the first mainstream Arab Israeli leader to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. By most accounts, he's the most consequential Arab politician in Israel's Speaking to reporters yesterday, Abbas endorsed Netanyahu's leading rivals Naftali Bennett, Gadi Eisenkot and Avigdor Lieberman as worthy candidates for prime minister. He called them responsible and statesmanlike, and he said that he'd work with them. Those were likely unwanted compliments because they point to a truth that the opposition leaders would prefer not to acknowledge. To form a coalition that can take down Netanyahu, they will likely need to make a deal with Abbas's ROC party, But that would be unpopular with many Israelis, especially the small group of right leaning voters who back Netanyahu in the last election but are considering voting for the opposition this time. Those may be the votes that decide whether or not Netanyahu wins another term. According to polling by the Israel Democracy Institute, more than 70% of Jewish Israelis oppose including Arab parties in the government. That number rises to over 80% among voters on the right. For most of Israel's history, this was not an issue. No independent Arab party had agreed to join a Zionist government and vice versa. But Bennett and Abbas both broke that taboo in 2021. Bennett had promised he would not form a government with Ra', Am, but he did. ARC Media contributor Amit Segal explained what the result was on Call Me Back.

[C]

Since the last government formed by Bennett and Lapid included an Arab party for the first time in Israel's history, the number one issue of the election was either you support a coalition with the Arab parties or not. And since the answer was a resounding no, especially by the right wing, the outcome was an outright victory for Benjamin Netanyahu.

[A]

This time around, Bennett said he's ruling out a partnership with Abbas. Eisenhe and Lieberman have signaled they oppose the idea too. For now, they are trying to avoid talking about the issue altogether, inst they're trying to keep the focus on the ultra orthodox parties that Netanyahu relies on for his governing majority. Those parties have blocked policies that would call for ultra orthodox youth to serve in the military like everybody else. And that's enraged a public that's already exhausted by two and a half years of war in which the same reserve soldiers have been called up for duty over and over again. The question ahead is how much Abbas comments will impact voters and the troubled opposition coalitions. One thing is for sure, Netanyahu will exploit it politically. A classified intelligence document delivered to Israel's leadership last week confirmed what the IDF has been warning for. Hamas is recruiting fighters, it's manufacturing weapons, and it's been running dozens of training exercises. The document was first reported by Israel's Channel 13 and it points to a significant leap in Hamas's military capabilities. But the diplomacy meant to stop this rebuilding effort has formally collapsed. Hamas told the U. S. Led Board of Peace that it will only hand over weapons after Israel fully withdraws from Gaza and after there are guarantees of a Palestinian state. That's the opposite of what the board's plan requires. The board responded with a warning. In a letter obtained by the Times of Israel, a top official wrote that if Hamas fails to accept the disarmament framework, Israel's ceasefire commitments become null and void. That means no obligation to halt strikes and no obligation to ensure aid enters the Strip. The US is effectively untying Israel's hands. Michael Eisenberg, a businessman and close advisor to Netanyahu, gave a rare interview to Fox News. He summed it up like this.

[C]

There's an easy way and a hard way. Everyone prefers the easy way, which is Hamas, you know, with the help of the mediators, delivers the weapons. But if they don't, there's a hard way too.

[A]

He said Israel and the Board of Peace are preparing for joint action if Hamas doesn't comply. The question is whether this is a coordinated pressure campaign or a precursor to something more. Either way, the next Israeli government, whoever forms it, will inherit this problem. And right now, Hamas is using every day to make it harder to solve. Yesterday, the European Union voted unanimously to impose sanctions on violent Israeli settlers in the the West Bank. The move had been blocked for over a year by a single country, Hungary. Viktor Orban vetoed it every time it came up. Last month, Orban lost power, his successors stepped in, and the EU finally moved. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Khalis said it was high time we move from deadlock to delivery. Extremism and violence carry consequences. The sanctions target four Israeli settler organizations and Three individuals, including Daniela Weiss. She is widely regarded as the godmother of the Israeli settler movement. One of the settler organizations cited was Regavim. In response, they said they consider the sanctions a badge of honor. The EU also sanctioned several Hamas leaders in the same package. Israel's Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, called that pairing outrageous. He said it drew a completely distorted moral equivalent between Israeli citizens and Hamas terrorists. There is reason to be concerned about what's happening in the West Bank. Since the start of this year, at least 40 Palestinians have been killed. Eleven of those killings were carried out by settlers. That's already more than all of 2025. The IDF's own leadership has been sounding the alarm. In March, the head of IDF Central Command sent a letter to politicians and settler leaders warning a violent group of lawbreakers is operating in territory of Judea and Samaria without restraint, contrary to the law, to IDF values and to the values of the Jewish people. It's important to be precise about who we're talking about. The vast majority of more than half a million Israelis living in the west bank are not involved in this violence. The perpetrators are mostly a small radicalized group called the Hilltop Youth, whose ideology has roots going back to the early settlement movement. Specifically, it's tied to the Gush Emuni movement and the Jewish underground. Yossi Klein Halevi explained the connection on last week's episode of For Heaven's Sake.

[B]

The founding ethos of Gushamonim was that they were empowered by God to take the law into their own hands. The Israeli government was forbidding settlement. They were answerable to a higher law. Now, that opens the way to lawlessness. But there's a missing link here between the contained lawlessness of Gushamunim and the unrestrained lawlessness of the Hilltop Youth. And that's the Jewish Underground of the early 1980s. It was a terrorist group. They plotted to blow up the Dome of the Rock. They planted bombs on Arab buses. They shot up a school in Hebron, an Islamic university. The settlement movement at the time was traumatized, and most of the movement repudiated the underground. But you had a strong minority that referred to them as Tuve Banenu, the best of our youth. Others referred to them as good boys who went wrong, or worse, good boys who made a mistake.

[A]

The question of what to call this violence has itself become a flashpoint. On a recent episode of Inside Call Me Back, Amit Sehgal said publicly what many in Israel's security establishment have been saying privately, that what's happening in the west bank deserves to be called out by name.

[C]

People usually they are against the usage of the word terror because they think it actually it somehow compares to what Hamas has done through the years to a gang of some, I don't know, 200 Israeli offenders. However, since I think that it should be treated severely, I thought it was it worse. There is a phrase in British calling a spade a spade.

[A]

Senior security sources told Haaretz that political pressure from within the government is actively preventing enforcement. Far right leaders are in control. National Security Minister Itamar Ben GVIR oversees the police and Finance Minister Batsalhar Smotrich controls civilian administration of the West Bank. Yesterday's vote is the first time the EU has unanimously backed punitive measures against Israel since the Gaza war began. France, Sweden and the Netherlands are already pushing for trade restrictions on settlement products. If the violence continues and the political pressure builds, the association agreement, the legal backbone of EU Israel trade relations, could be the next thing on the table. I'm Deborah Pardes and this is ARK News Daily. See you tomorrow.

[C]

It.