Democrats chairman Yair Golan has called for the formation of a government in cooperation with the Arab parties.
Claiming a victory of 65 Knesset seats compared to 55 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-religious bloc, Golan said, "Netanyahu lost. I know how to count to 120. Sixty-five is more than 55."
He added, "The vote of an Israeli citizen who votes in Tira (an Arab city -ed.) is worth exactly the same as the vote of an Israeli citizen who votes in Givat Shmuel."
Golan also criticized Netanyahu for relying on 16 Knesset members from the haredi parties, which he described as non-Zionist, insisting that his bloc also holds a Zionist majority of 49 seats to 39.
"We have a majority. We have a responsibility. And we have an opportunity to form a government of change, in partnership with Israel's Arab citizens," he declared, calling for an end to hesitation and for action to establish a new government.
As of 9:44 a.m. on Wednesday, with approximately 66.3% of the votes counted, the coalition bloc has fallen from 56 to 54 seats, while the "bloc of change" remains at 48. The Joint List receives 12 seats, while Ra'am (United Arab List) rises from four to six.