Joint List offers support to anti-Netanyahu government without joining cabinet
Senior leader Ahmad Tibi said the Arab party is willing to back an opposition-led government to replace Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition.
The Arab Joint List is willing to support an opposition-led government to replace the outgoing coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to senior party leader Ahmad Tibi. Speaking to Channel 12, Tibi stated the party does not seek ministerial positions or cabinet berths.
Tibi urged opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot to follow the example of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by relying on Arab lawmakers for parliamentary backing. Tibi said the party wants to assist anyone attempting to remove the current government, noting that change cannot happen without Arab parties.
The election results left Netanyahu's bloc with 53 seats and opponents with 67 seats in the 120-member Knesset. The opposition includes 48 seats from Zionist parties and 19 from Arab factions, consisting of 11 from the Joint List and eight from Ra’am.
Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen said informal, preliminary contacts have begun with leaders including Eisenkot, Yair Golan, and members of Naftali Bennett’s B’Yachad party. Jabareen outlined conditions for support, including a diplomatic process for a Palestinian state, a plan to tackle crime in Arab municipalities, and a halt to home demolitions.
Jabareen also addressed allegations of secret Qatari funding for Arab voter turnout, calling them dangerous slander. He accused Shin Bet chief David Zini of influencing the Central Elections Committee's decision to investigate suspected foreign interference.
President Isaac Herzog has urged leaders to accept the results to avoid another election. Herzog is scheduled to receive certified results on November 4, with the new Knesset due to be sworn in on November 10.