Israel: Arabische Parteien wollen Netanjahus Ablösung ermöglichen

In Tel Aviv, a coalition of Arab-aligned parties has indicated readiness to pave the way for the replacement of the right-wing and religious government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. United List Chairperson Yussef Jabarin declared on the day after the parliamentary election: "The Netanyahu government and (extreme right Police Minister Itamar) Ben-Gvir have made life a living hell for every Arab citizen."

He called the Israeli voters' support for Arab parties "historical." According to the tally of most votes, the Islamically-conservative Raam Party and the United List secure 19 out of 120 parliamentary seats. They may prove crucial as neither Netanyahu's camp nor the camp of his rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, has yet achieved a majority.

Jabarin stated: "We will know how to use our political strength to advance the values we believe in and are ready to pave the way for the replacement of the Netanyahu government, Ben-Gvir, and (Finance Minister Bezalel) Smotrich." Approximately one-fifth of Israel's population is Arab, mostly descendants of Palestinians who stayed after the country's founding and the 1948 war.

As Israeli citizens, they also have the right to vote. However, their close family and cultural ties to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank create mistrust among segments of the Jewish population. In Israeli politics, there is a "firewall" type of right-wing Jewish parties against Arab parties. Some view Arabs as a fifth column of Palestinians.