The Arab Front in Israel is recognized as the main obstacle to Benjamin Netanyahu's celebration regarding the continuation of his government. This assessment was made by Arab representative Sami Jabareen, who pointed to criticisms of the right-wing government and its dangers.
Criticism of Political Coalitions
Jabareen has made strong criticisms of those in the opposition camp who have expressed dissatisfaction with a coalition that includes Arab parties. He stated, "Like others in the political arena, Avigdor Lieberman must also confront the political reality and the statistics in the Knesset (parliament)."
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Status of Arab Israelis
Arab Israelis, who make up about 20 percent of the population, are descendants of Palestinians who remained in the country after the establishment of Israel in 1948. Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel, is scheduled to meet this week with representatives of the parties that won in the elections on October 27 to determine which leader should act first to form a government.
The leader of the opposition camp, Gadi Eisenkot, has expressed concern about the government coalition including Arab parties, but has not publicly rejected it. Netanyahu has also described Arab parties as a threat to the country during the election campaign.
Jabareen's Meetings and Political Approaches
Jabareen announced that he met with Mansour Abbas, the leader of the Ra'am party, on Monday and will meet the next day with Yair Golan, the leftist representative of the "Democrats" who is the only member of the opposition bloc and has publicly called for government partnership with Arab parties. He emphasized that his party is more focused on the interests of Arab Israelis.
Jabareen added: "The need to ensure the security of Arab Israelis against crime and violence, home demolitions, discriminatory policies, and budget allocations are issues that provide a basis for dialogue." He also stated that potential partners should view his party's positions in rejecting Netanyahu and his war policies positively.
Gadi Eisenkot shares many of Netanyahu's security views and opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state. However, he has promised to work on restoring Israel's international credibility, which has been damaged due to the devastating Gaza war, and to address the violence of settlers in the West Bank.
Jabareen concluded by emphasizing: "Our positions are based on human rights and support for international laws and conventions, and these positions are only described as extreme when someone making that claim is themselves extreme."
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