Joint List Chairman Offers Support to Oust Netanyahu

The Chairman of the Joint List, Professor Yousef Jabareen, has declared his party's readiness to help unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and called for the establishment of a Jewish-Arab partnership. This statement comes as election results show neither the Netanyahu bloc nor the "change bloc" has a clear majority, making Arab parties potentially decisive.

With 77% of votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc has 54 mandates and the change bloc has 49. The Joint List, projected to win 11 seats, along with Ra'am's projected 6 seats, hold a combined 17 mandates. Jabareen stated, "We are ready and prepared to pave the way for the ousting of the Netanyahu government. Against a government of blood, against a politics of supremacy, racism, and exclusion, we offer a completely different alternative. Change comes through a Jewish-Arab partnership, a true and equal partnership."

Jabareen's declaration is seen as a signal to parties in the change bloc, including those led by Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yair Golan. However, it is not yet a commitment to recommend a specific candidate for prime minister or to join a coalition. Jabareen has previously indicated that the Joint List would not give a "blank check" and would have demands in return for its support.

The decision now rests with the change bloc parties. If they reject forming a government reliant on the Joint List, they will not achieve a majority. If they agree, they will need to negotiate the conditions set by the Joint List. The Joint List's support could manifest in various ways, such as recommending a candidate, providing external backing, or voting with the bloc in the Knesset. Yair Golan has already urged the bloc's leaders to pursue a government that includes Arab representatives, emphasizing the need to stop dismissing their votes.