Tibi tells Eisenkot to form minority government with Palestinian parties
The Ta'al party leader says the 19 seats won by Arab slates are enough to block a Netanyahu bloc and support a new coalition.
By Samir Patterson ·
Ahmad Tibi, leader of the Ta'al party, told Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot on Friday to form a minority government with Palestinian representatives. Tibi spoke in an interview with Middle East Eye, urging Eisenkot to use the latest election results to end the rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately.
The election results leave no bloc with a secure majority. Netanyahu’s camp won 53 seats on Tuesday, down from 64 in the 2022 vote. Eisenkot’s opposition bloc holds 67 seats, a number that includes the 19 seats won by Palestinian parties. A governing coalition in the 120-seat Knesset requires 61 seats. Without the support of Palestinian lawmakers, neither side can form a stable majority.
Tibi’s Ta'al party, along with Hadash and Balad, comprises the Joint List, which won 11 seats. The separate Ra'am party secured eight. This combined total of 19 is a record for Palestinian parties in the Knesset. Tibi stated that his party is prepared to provide the safety net necessary for a minority government to survive no-confidence votes.
Tibi rejected the alternative of a national unity government. He argued that such a deal would allow Netanyahu’s policies to continue under different leadership. “We prefer a new government by Eisenkot, as a minority government, and we are ready to help,” Tibi said. He compared the desired arrangement to the 1993 minority government of Yitzhak Rabin, which relied on Palestinian-led parties for support.
The Ta'al leader dismissed claims that foreign financing, specifically from Qatar, boosted Palestinian voter turnout. Tibi called the allegations politically motivated and said they would have no effect on the election outcome. He accused Netanyahu of using the controversy to intimidate voters and discourage cooperation with Arab parties.
Tibi also targeted Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, a Likud member. Tibi called for the opposition to vote out Ohana and replace him with their own candidate. “Amir Ohana made the Knesset racist,” Tibi said. He pledged that Palestinian lawmakers would support the opposition’s nominee for the speakership.
Tibi emphasized that Palestinian citizens, who number around two million and make up roughly one-fifth of Israel’s population, have a democratic right to influence the next government. He described the high turnout as a historic act of political self-defense against incitement and discrimination.
The outgoing government oversaw a surge in violence in the West Bank and Gaza, according to Tibi. He said the immediate priority for the new opposition is to remove the current administration and improve the legal status of Palestinian citizens in Israel.
