The appearance of the leaders of the Arab-majority parties in Israel before President Herzog yesterday represents a long-overdue moment of hope of escape from the nightmare of the reign of terror of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has dominated Israel’s government and security regime for most of the last thirty years. He was first elected prime minister in 1996 and has been in office most years since then. As such, he dutifully served the Greater Israel cult of Jabotinsky Revisionism, which he was born into, unleashing repeated murderous attacks on Palestinians, aimed at ethnic cleansing, through genocide (since October 2023 in Gaza), and forcing “voluntary” transfer.
It is this approach to the “Palestinian problem” which drove a record number of Israeli Palestinian citizens to the polls, electing 19 Members of the Knesset. It was representatives of these parties who met with President Herzog yesterday, affirming their commitment to remove Netanyahu, by endorsing Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, to form a new government. Their 19 votes, when added to the 48 held by the Opposition coalition, puts Eisenkot at 67 votes, surpassing the 61 needed to form a new government.
The alliance of Arab Parties is headed by Yousef Jabareen. He reported that the decision was reached to recommend Eisenkot’s candidacy in order “to oust the Netanyahu-Ben-Gvir-Smotrich government....” The hope of the Joint List of Arab parties, he added, is “that this can lead to an improvement in the situation of all citizens, and particularly that of Arab citizens, whose lives the last government made miserable in almost every way.”
Ahmad Tibi, leader of the Ta’al faction in the alliance, told Haaretz that they are not asking to join the government, but would vote with the Eisenkot Coalition to block Netanyahu. He clarified their position further, stating “We disagree with Eisenkot on many issues; we are not choosing between good and better, but between bad and less bad. We know what it means—for the Arab public as well as for the Israeli public—to replace this bad government. We think a government of change can be formed, and we will support it from the outside. This is a firm, clear, and conscious decision.”
It is now up to Herzog to decide whether to give Eisenkot the nod to form a government. It is not certain whether this alliance is acceptable to all members of the Opposition Coalition, whose votes are needed to reach the 61 figure. It is, however, a step toward normalization of Jewish-Palestinian cooperation, an essential step toward ending the terror regime of Netanyahu.