In brief
In a hung parliament after the October 28 election, the Joint List of Arab parties is negotiating with the anti‑Netanyahu bloc to influence new government formation. Senior party leaders said they can support the change bloc while keeping their independency. The move highlights shifting dynamics as Parliament counts votes without a clear majority.
In JERUSALEM, on Oct. 28, 2026, senior Arab lawmaker Ahmad Tibi confirmed that Israel’s Joint List is in talks with the opposition bloc that opposes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after the country’s parliamentary election left both sides short of a majority.
Tibi, chairman of the Ta’al party, told Israel’s state‑owned Kan Reshet Bet Radio that the Joint List was ready to help the so‑called “change bloc” replace Netanyahu, although it was unlikely to formally join a governing coalition.
We have blocked the possibility of Netanyahu forming a government. Our public wants us to go further and influence the shape of the political system after the elections.
Tibi also said the alliance would discuss parliamentary arrangements, such as how and when its lawmakers would vote, in exchange for progress on issues affecting Israel’s Arab minority, including crime, house demolitions, infrastructure and incitement.
Yair Golan, leader of the center‑left Democrats party and part of the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, urged allies to pray their refusal to cooperate with Arab parties. He wrote on the social‑media platform X: We must no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes.
We must no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes.
Yousef Jabareen, chairman of the Joint List, also expressed willingness to help Eisenkot replace Netanyahu, saying:
Anyone who wants to offer a real alternative to Netanyahu’s bloodstained government will have to talk to us. We are ready to pave the way for Netanyahu’s removal.
The statements come as vote counting continues after an election that left neither Netanyahu’s right‑wing bloc nor Eisenkot’s rival bloc with the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. With about 77 percent of the votes counted, the Central Elections Committee projected Netanyahu’s bloc would win 54 seats; Eisenkot’s bloc would win 49 seats in the 120‑seat parliament.
