Israel’s Arab Parties Might Join A Government Coalition — With Conditions
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The leader of the Joint List of Arab parties said he would join a center-left government after Israeli elections in September, under certain conditions — a move that would prove historic. No majority-Arab party has ever joined a governing coalition in Israel, though they have backed left-wing governments from the sidelines in the past.
Ayman Odeh told Yediot Acharonot in an interview that his conditions for joining include repealing the often-debated Nation-State Law, restarting peace negotiations with the Palestinians, improving Israeli Arabs’ access to social services, construction of a new hospital in an Arab city and committing to stop violence and crime in Arab communities.
“We will be partners in the government only if Arab citizens will no longer be second-class citizens,” he said.
A summary of the interview was published on Thursday. The full interview will be published in the weekend Friday edition. Odeh also posted his conditions on his Facebook page and Twitter feed.
In posts on social media he added “Ending the occupation” to his list of demands, apparently meaning ending Israel’s military rule over the West Bank.
Some leaders of the centrist Blue and White Party have already rejected the possibility of a coalition with the Joint List.
Party co-chairman Yair Lapid and lawmaker Gabi Ashkenazi called the idea unacceptable, since the Arab parties do not recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Party head Benny Gantz has not yet commented.
The Arab Joint List won 13 seats in the 2015 election. The parties split for April’s elections, winning a total of 10 seats, but they have since regrouped.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news. All donations are still being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000 until April 24.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
