Arab party leaders vow to oust Netanyahu in Oct. 27 Israeli elections
- Joint List urges higher Arab turnout, says alternative government would be ‘lesser of two evils’
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- Joint List urges higher Arab turnout, says alternative government would be ‘lesser of two evils’
By Abdel Ra'ouf Arnaout and Rania Abushamala
JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL (AA) - Leaders of Arab parties in Israel vowed Tuesday to work through the Joint List alliance to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oct. 27 Knesset elections.
Speaking at a news conference in the northern city of Haifa, they stressed that increased Arab participation could prevent Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition from forming another government.
They acknowledged, however, that an alternative government would not necessarily meet their aspirations.
The conference brought together Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen, who heads the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash); Ahmad Tibi, the alliance’s parliamentary bloc chairman and leader of the Arab Movement for Change (Ta’al); and Sami Abu Shehadeh, the leader of the National Democratic Assembly (Balad) party.
The three parties make up the Joint List.
Arab citizens account for roughly 20% of Israel’s population of more than 10 million.
Jabareen said the alliance was gaining ground in opinion polls and hoped to secure “10 seats or more” on Oct. 27.
“Increasing turnout in our Arab community will ensure the removal of Netanyahu’s government,” he said.
He pledged to strengthen the alliance’s international presence, engaging influential institutions and governments to advocate for the rights of Arab citizens and the Palestinian people.
“We want the Joint List to be a safety net for our people against violence and crime, a safety net against home demolition policies, and a safety net for our young men and women on social and economic issues and in defending their right to a dignified and secure future,” he said.
Jabareen also called for protection against attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, churches and monks in Jerusalem.
Anyone seeking to offer an alternative to the far-right government must engage with the alliance on these issues, he added.
Tibi said the Joint List would work to prevent Netanyahu from remaining prime minister of a caretaker government and help pave the way for an alternative administration.
“We realize that any alternative government will not be our dream government, but we face a choice between bad and worse,” he said.
“Our main and urgent task today is to bring down the government of Netanyahu, (National Security Minister Itamar) Ben-Gvir and (Finance Minister Bezalel) Smotrich and prevent it from remaining in power.”
Tibi said a strong Joint List was the guarantee for removing the three leaders, noting that the alliance had reached nine seats in opinion polls.
Although the projected Arab turnout was gradually increasing, he said it remained insufficient to remove the government.
Shifting poll results showed that Netanyahu could not be defeated without the Joint List, he argued, describing additional seats for the alliance as a means of changing the political situation.
Tibi also expressed readiness to cooperate with other political forces to repeal the Kaminitz Law, which facilitates the demolition of Arab homes.
“We are determined and extend our hands to everyone who wants to sweep away this extremist government,” he said. “Although the alternative government may not be our dream, we choose the lesser of two evils to bring about change.”
Abu Shehadeh said Arab citizens, including workers, doctors, drivers, employees and students, faced persecution, stressing the need to end such violations.
“It is true that the Joint List is making serious and steady progress in the polls, and that is good, but it is not enough,” he said. “We listen daily to our people in every village and city, and everyone is demanding change.”
A strong and influential Joint List was essential to preventing Netanyahu, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir from returning to power and to protecting the Arab community, he added.
Opinion polls show a close race between Netanyahu’s bloc and the Jewish opposition camp led by former Israeli army Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, with neither reaching the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
The latest polls project nine seats for the Joint List and five for the United Arab List led by Mansour Abbas.
Cooperation between Jewish opposition parties and Arab parties could prevent Netanyahu from forming a government. Most opposition party leaders, however, reject such cooperation, while both Netanyahu and Eisenkot have so far ruled out alliances with Arab parties.
Arab lawmakers’ conditions for supporting any government include ending the wars, opening a political horizon with the Palestinian people and ending discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Rania R.a. Abushamala