Arab Lawmaker Signals Willingness to Help End Netanyahu's Rule

In Tayibe, Israel, veteran Arab lawmaker Ahmad Tibi stated on Tuesday that his political bloc is prepared to break with long-standing tradition to help remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power. Tibi, a senior member of the Arab Joint List, said that the group wants to take actions they have not taken in the past to end what he called a criminal government.

The proposed alliance would see the Joint List support an anti-Netanyahu government without formally joining the cabinet. Tibi explained that this arrangement could reassure Jewish-led parties who view Arab lawmakers with suspicion while still granting the Joint List major influence over policy.

This potential partnership creates a complex political landscape for both sides. For the Joint List, backing such a government means supporting a coalition that may not end Israel's ongoing wars or stop settlement expansion in the West Bank. For Netanyahu's opponents, aligning with the Joint List means working with parties that reject Israel's identity as a Jewish state.

The Joint List, a coalition of three left-wing and nationalist parties, won 11 seats in the 120-member Knesset after historic voter turnout. Another Arab party, Ra’am, which is more conciliatory, won 8 seats and is willing to join the government directly. However, any anti-Netanyahu majority would still need the support of the Joint List.

Former general Gadi Eisenkot leads the main opposition bloc, which won 48 seats. His coalition falls one seat short of the 61 needed for a majority. Eisenkot has stated that Arab-led parties must meet certain conditions, including calling Hamas a terrorist group. Tibi argued that these conditions do not apply to parties providing outside support, noting that the Joint List has denounced the October 7, 2023, attack but refuses to label Hamas a terrorist group to avoid justifying Israel's military campaign in Gaza.

Tibi said he does not expect a new government to immediately end the wars or create a Palestinian state. However, he believes a repair government would improve the lives of Palestinian citizens by addressing local issues such as a wave of violent crime in Arab communities. He noted that if Jewish-led parties reject the partnership, it would prove Israel is an ethnocracy rather than an absolute democracy for all citizens.

During the 2019 elections, Netanyahu campaigned on the slogan Bibi or Tibi to warn voters that opposing him meant relying on Arab-led parties. Tibi said Tuesday that the recent election results have reversed that narrative, stating that Arab voters participated in massive numbers and that the political story now belongs to them.