Israeli Arab leader says party ready to back anti-Netanyahu government but not in coalition

The leader of the Joint List, Yousef Jabareen, announced on Wednesday that his party is willing to collaborate with an opposition-led government to oust Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but he is not inclined to join the coalition itself. Jabareen expressed his stance to AFP, stating that the current political landscape, including the ongoing conflict in Gaza and settlement issues in the West Bank, precludes the possibility of his party being part of an Israeli government coalition.

However, he clarified that if the objective is to bring down the current government, his party would be open to supporting an alternative government from outside the coalition. Earlier, Netanyahu had dismissed the prospect of an Arab-led coalition, branding it a "shame and a disgrace," deeming it "forbidden." The Joint List and Ra'am, both Arab-led parties, together secured a record 19 seats in the recent elections, whereas Netanyahu's Likud party failed to secure a parliamentary majority in the latest projections.