Arab parties in Israeli Knesset coordinate bid to replace Netanyahu

Coordination Against Far-Right Coalition

Ahmad Tibi, head of the Joint List's parliamentary bloc, convened a meeting Monday with leaders of Arab parties represented in Israel's parliament to coordinate efforts to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, posting a photograph of the gathering on social media ahead of decisive consultations on forming a new administration. The meeting brought together Tibi alongside Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen of the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality, National Democratic Assembly representative Bakr Awawdeh and United Arab List leader Mansour Abbas. "A coordination and consultation meeting between the leadership of the Joint List and the United Arab List," Tibi said in a post on X, adding that the objective was to "bring down the Netanyahu, (Itamar) Ben-Gvir and (Bezalel) Smotrich government and replace it with a government of change."

Presidential Consultations

President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to begin consultations on Wednesday with parties elected to the 120-member Knesset to determine which lawmaker should receive the mandate to form a government. Neither Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition secured the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority in last Tuesday's elections — the former won 53 seats while opposition parties obtained 48, according to preliminary results.

Arab parties secured 19 seats, potentially positioning them as kingmakers in the coalition-building process. If all 19 Arab lawmakers join the 48 opposition members in recommending Yeshar party leader Gadi Eisenkot for the premiership, he could receive the backing of 67 lawmakers compared with 53 for Netanyahu's bloc, a margin that could influence Herzog's decision despite Likud remaining the largest individual party in the Knesset. On Sunday, the Together party led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced it would recommend Eisenkot, while Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported Monday that the Democrats party led by Yair Golan was moving toward a similar recommendation. Channel 12 quoted Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman as saying he would also recommend Eisenkot to Herzog.

Netanyahu's Legal Woes

Netanyahu, 76, has served five nonconsecutive terms as Israel's longest-serving premier and has led the current government since late 2022, heading a coalition widely described as the most far-right in Israel's history. He is currently on trial on corruption charges including bribery, fraud and breach of trust, which could carry prison sentences if he is convicted. He is also wanted by the International Criminal Court under an arrest warrant issued in 2024 over accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, where more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.