A top Arab political leader said he is prepared to help the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot form a minority government in order to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“If they want us to help, we will be there in order to help,” Ahmad Tibi, the head of the Joint List’s bloc, told CNN in an interview. “We want to support the candidate of the opposition. It is important. It should be done.”
Tibi said his coalition is not looking to join an Eisenkot-led government and would not be seeking any ministerships. He said their only demand is that the next government commits to combating crime impacting the Arab community and stop the demolition of Bedouin homes, which have risen under Netanyahu’s government.
Tibi’s Joint List and Raam, another Arab-majority party, are projected to win a record 19 seats in Israel’s 120-seat parliament after Palestinian citizens of Israel turned out in record numbers – nearly 80% – to vote on Wednesday.
Major opposition parties have ruled out forming a government with the Arab parties, but their political support from outside could provide Eisenkot with the tacit support he needs to form a minority government.
Tibi said doing so will require Eisenkot and his coalition to “be brave” in the face of Netanyahu’s condemnation of any attempt to form a government with the help of Israel’s Arab parties.
Tibi said he has received hundreds of calls and messages since the initial exit polls came out, including from a “significant figure” in the opposition bloc, although not from Eisenkot himself.
He said he conveyed a message that the Joint List is “ready” and “willing” to help pave the way for a different government but stressed it would only be possible if “they are brave” enough to do it.
