Israeli Opposition Bloc Agrees to Shun Arab Parties, Court Haredi Support
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Senior members of Israel's opposition "Change Bloc" met Tuesday, agreeing to exclude Arab parties from a potential government while pursuing talks with Haredi factions. The bloc aims to oust the current Knesset Speaker but has not agreed on a replacement. Yair Lapid criticized attempts to undermine election results and called for Netanyahu's removal. Internal disagreements persist over key parliamentary roles, with some partners opposing a concentration of power.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Opposition bloc leaders agreed not to form a government reliant on Arab parties but will talk to Haredi factions.
- Senior opposition figures met for the first time since election results were published.
- The bloc agreed to work on ousting Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana but has no successor.
- Yair Lapid accused opponents of trying to harm election results and called for Netanyahu's removal.
- Internal disputes exist over appointing Yair Lapid or Gadi Eisenkot as Knesset Speaker.
- Avigdor Lieberman criticized Gadi Eisenkot for losing potential election mandates.
Senior figures within Israel's "Change Bloc" opposition coalition met on Tuesday in Herzliya, agreeing not to form a government reliant on Arab parties but to engage in discussions with Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) factions. This was the first such meeting since election results were published.
Participants included Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, Yair Golan, and Yair Lapid. The bloc agreed to work towards ousting the current Knesset Speaker, Amir Ohana, but failed to reach a consensus on his successor. Gadi Eisenkot did not issue a post-meeting statement, a departure from usual practice.
Yair Lapid, addressing reporters before the meeting, condemned what he called a "serious and dangerous attempt to harm the election results" and stressed the need to form a government, stating, "The conduct of the past few days is just another reminder that we need to remove Netanyahu from the Prime Minister's office."
A point of contention within the bloc is the potential appointment of Yair Lapid as Knesset Speaker. If Gadi Eisenkot receives the mandate to form a government, there is a proposal for him to also control the Arrangements Committee and the Speaker position. However, other coalition partners are reportedly seeking to prevent such a concentration of power, citing the lack of parliamentary experience within Eisenkot's "Yisrael Beiteinu" faction as a reason to appoint Lapid instead.
Meanwhile, Yair Golan met with Yosef Jabareen, chairman of the Joint List, and faction chairman Ahmed. The meeting follows a week of internal tensions, including sharp criticism from Avigdor Lieberman against Gadi Eisenkot, whom Lieberman accused of conducting an "egotistical campaign" that cost the opposition "seven to eight mandates" in the final ten days before the election.
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