Arab Joint List, Democrats Coordinate Efforts to Unseat Netanyahu
(MENAFN) Leaders of Israel’s Arab Joint List and the Democratic Party agreed Tuesday to work together toward replacing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, following their first meeting since last week’s parliamentary elections.
Joint List Chairman Yousef Jabareen and parliamentary group leader Ahmad Tibi held discussions with Democratic Party leader Yair Golan to review the election outcome of Oct. 27 and explore cooperation between their political blocs, according to a statement from the Arab Joint List.
Preliminary results showed that Netanyahu’s political bloc secured 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while opposition parties obtained 48. Arab parties won a combined 19 seats, with the Joint List taking 11 and Ra’am securing eight.
Both delegations emphasized their “shared interest in using the parliamentary majority to bring down the Netanyahu-Ben-Gvir-Smotrich government and replace it,” the statement said.
Jabareen and Tibi also highlighted challenges confronting Arab citizens of Israel and discussed measures to develop “practical and tangible solutions” to address their concerns.
Arab citizens account for approximately 20% of Israel’s population, which exceeds 10 million people.
The parties agreed to maintain contact and coordinate their positions ahead of the next political developments. They also pledged to expand parliamentary cooperation and promote an agenda centered on “equality and peace.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is due to consult with Knesset parties on Wednesday and Thursday before selecting the lawmaker he will ask to form the next government.
Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and head of the opposition Change bloc, could receive the highest number of recommendations if Arab lawmakers back his candidacy. Golan is also among the figures leading the Change bloc.
Netanyahu, 76, has held the premiership for five nonconsecutive terms, making him Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. He has headed the current coalition since late 2022, with the government widely characterized as the most far-right in the country's history.
The prime minister is also facing a corruption trial involving allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, charges that could result in prison sentences if he is found guilty.
Separately, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since October 2023.
Joint List Chairman Yousef Jabareen and parliamentary group leader Ahmad Tibi held discussions with Democratic Party leader Yair Golan to review the election outcome of Oct. 27 and explore cooperation between their political blocs, according to a statement from the Arab Joint List.
Preliminary results showed that Netanyahu’s political bloc secured 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while opposition parties obtained 48. Arab parties won a combined 19 seats, with the Joint List taking 11 and Ra’am securing eight.
Both delegations emphasized their “shared interest in using the parliamentary majority to bring down the Netanyahu-Ben-Gvir-Smotrich government and replace it,” the statement said.
Jabareen and Tibi also highlighted challenges confronting Arab citizens of Israel and discussed measures to develop “practical and tangible solutions” to address their concerns.
Arab citizens account for approximately 20% of Israel’s population, which exceeds 10 million people.
The parties agreed to maintain contact and coordinate their positions ahead of the next political developments. They also pledged to expand parliamentary cooperation and promote an agenda centered on “equality and peace.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is due to consult with Knesset parties on Wednesday and Thursday before selecting the lawmaker he will ask to form the next government.
Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and head of the opposition Change bloc, could receive the highest number of recommendations if Arab lawmakers back his candidacy. Golan is also among the figures leading the Change bloc.
Netanyahu, 76, has held the premiership for five nonconsecutive terms, making him Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. He has headed the current coalition since late 2022, with the government widely characterized as the most far-right in the country's history.
The prime minister is also facing a corruption trial involving allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, charges that could result in prison sentences if he is found guilty.
Separately, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since October 2023.
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