Liberman Signals No Arab Party Cooperation for Change Bloc

Avigdor Liberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, has sent a clear message to the "Change Bloc" of parties, stating that Arab political factions are not viable partners for any future Zionist government. This stance emerged during discussions at the Central Elections Committee regarding the disqualification of Arab candidates and lists. Liberman suspects Benny Gantz might form a minority government with the support or abstention of the Ra'am party, and he aims to prevent this by drawing a firm line against cooperation with Arab parties.

Liberman's support for disqualifying Ra'am, alongside other Arab lists like the Joint List, Balad, and individuals like Ofer Cassif, is seen as an attempt to redefine the political boundaries of the Change Bloc. This move could complicate future collaborations and positions Liberman's party as a distinct right-wing force, even outflanking the Likud on the right.

The Central Elections Committee disqualified the chairman of Balad, Sami Abu Shehadeh, MK Ofer Cassif, the Joint List, and Ra'am. These decisions are expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court, which is anticipated to overturn the disqualifications for Cassif, the Joint List, and Ra'am. Liberman, however, backed all these disqualifications, including that of Ra'am, which was part of the previous "Change government" coalition that also included Yisrael Beiteinu.

Liberman articulated his position by stating, "Any Zionist government that is established after the elections must define the elimination of Hamas as a central goal of its security policy. Any party that opposes this has no place in the Knesset in Israel. Therefore, we will vote in favor of disqualifying the Joint List, Ra'am, Ofer Cassif, and Sami Abu Shehadeh."

Liberman's actions have caused discomfort within the Change Bloc. Many senior members believe Ra'am should not be pushed into the same corner as other Arab parties, even if it doesn't join the next government. Notably, Yair Golan of the Democratic Party was the sole prominent figure to publicly oppose the disqualification of Arab parties, vowing to defend the rights of Arab citizens to participate in the country's leadership and refusing to legitimize Netanyahu's agenda. Golan did, however, support the personal disqualification of Sami Abu Shehadeh due to his post-October 7th remarks.