Arab Joint List and Israel's Democratic Party agree to coordinate efforts against Netanyahu's government

Agreement after the first meeting

The leaders of the Arab Joint List and Israel's Democratic Party agreed on Tuesday to coordinate efforts to replace the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This was their first meeting since the Knesset elections held on October 27, Anadolu reports.

Who met and what they agreed on

Chairman of the Joint List Yousef Jabareen and the leader of its parliamentary faction Ahmad Tibi met with the head of the Democrats, Yair Golan, to assess the political situation following the vote and discuss coordination between their blocs. According to the Joint List's statement, the parties emphasized their 'shared interest in using the parliamentary majority to bring down the Netanyahu–Ben-Gvir–Smotrich government and replace it.' Jabareen and Tibi also raised key issues facing Arab citizens of Israel and discussed steps to advance 'practical and tangible solutions.' The sides agreed to continue contacts ahead of upcoming political moves and to strengthen parliamentary cooperation around an agenda described in the statement as based on 'equality and peace.'

The balance of power after the election

According to preliminary results, Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, while the opposition parties took 48. The Arab parties won 19 mandates: 11 for the Joint List and 8 for the Ra'am party. Arabs make up about 20% of Israel's population, which exceeds 10 million people.

What comes next: the president's consultations

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will hold consultations with the parties represented in the Knesset on Wednesday and Thursday, after which he will decide which member of Knesset to task with forming the next government. According to the outlet, Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, who heads the opposition bloc Ha-Shinui, may receive the largest number of recommendations if he secures the support of Arab lawmakers. Golan is also among the leaders of this bloc.

Context

Netanyahu, 76, has led the current government since late 2022; the coalition is described as the most right-wing in Israel's history. He is serving his fifth non-consecutive term as prime minister and holds the record for the longest time in office. Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges, including bribery, fraud and breach of trust, and since 2024 has been wanted by the International Criminal Court under an arrest warrant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, where, according to the outlet, more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.