Ahmad Tibi Says Arab Bloc Will Back Anti-Netanyahu Coalition
The Arab Joint List is prepared to support a government that excludes them from cabinet roles to end the current administration's rule.
By Luana Sato ·
Ahmad Tibi says his party is ready to break a long-standing tradition to help remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Arab Joint List, which won 11 seats in the recent Knesset election, plans to support a new government without joining its cabinet. This approach aims to end Netanyahu’s rule while avoiding the political risk of serving in a government that continues wars in Gaza and Lebanon. Tibi described the current administration as a criminal government that must be removed.
The coalition’s strategy relies on the recent surge in voter turnout for Arab-led parties. The Joint List and Ra’am, which won 8 seats, hold enough influence to block the current coalition. Netanyahu’s bloc holds 53 seats in the 120-member parliament. The opposition, led by former general Gadi Eisenkot, won 48 seats. Eisenkot’s camp needs the support or abstention of the Arab bloc to reach a majority.
Tibi stated that the Joint List is willing to act as an external supporter. This arrangement would allow Jewish-led factions to form a government without formally including parties that reject Israel’s identity as a Jewish state. The Joint List is a coalition of three left-wing and nationalist groups. It calls for equal rights for all citizens and a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza, and east Jerusalem.
Eisenkot has set conditions for any partnership. He requires Arab-led parties to label Hamas a terrorist group that must be destroyed. The Joint List and Ra’am have denounced the October 7, 2023, attack but have refused to use that specific language. They argue that calling Hamas a terrorist group validates Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Tibi said his group is under no illusions that a new government will end the wars immediately. He believes a repair government will improve the lives of Palestinian citizens by addressing local issues such as violent crime in Arab communities. He noted that both the October 7 attack and Israel’s response were immoral.
The veteran lawmaker faced a campaign slogan in 2019 that pitted him against Netanyahu. Netanyahu urged voters to choose between the two to prevent Arab-led parties from forming a government. Tibi said Tuesday that the recent election results reversed that dynamic. He argued that massive Arab voter participation turned the slogan into a victory for the Arab bloc.
