Join Arab List lays out conditions for joining Blue and White government

Arutz Sheva Staff,

Joint List chief Ayman Odeh says his party will back formation of Blue and White government – but only if Liberman is not included.

Gantz (c) with Ahmed Tibi (r) and Ayman Odeh (l) / Ofek Avshalom

The Joint Arab List party laid out a list of demands Monday for supporting a coalition government led by the Blue and White party after next month’s election.

Joint Arab List chairman MK Ayman Odeh said the party would not give its backing to any government which includes Avidgor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu, Galei Tzahal radio reported.

“We have nothing in common,” said Odeh. “Liberman is a right-winger, he backs the idea of transferring the [Arab] residents of the [Wadi Ara] Triangle, he is against Arab voting, and we are as far away from him as possible.”

“There is no situation in which we could support any government that includes Liberman – we will vote against. We aren’t just about ‘Never Bibi’, we are against Bibi’s ideas and the path of the Right.”

In addition, Odeh said that for Gantz to receive his party’s endorsement after the election, Blue and White must publically vow not to apply Israeli sovereignty in parts of Judea and Samaria, despite US support for such a move.

“We recommended Gantz [after the last election], but we didn’t hear anything from him against the annexation or transfer [plans]. There is no way that we will support him again or recommend him [as prime minister] if he does not come out against this. There is no way we will endorse him if he maintains the positions he’s had in recent weeks. I want to hear from Gantz that he is against transfer.”

The recently released US peace plan backs Israeli sovereignty over roughly 30% of Judea and Samaria, while also calling for land swaps from pre-1967 Israel to a new Palestinian state. The plan suggests Israel transfer the Wadi Ara region – a strip of land adjacent to Samaria with a large Israeli Arab population – to the new Palestinian state; an idea backed in the past by Avidgor Liberman.

“Blue and White is silent in the face of Netanyahu’s attacks on the Arab population,” Odeh continued. “We won’t accept this situation. We can get to 61 seats without Liberman – the Joint List can get 16 seats. I am the most consistent person there is, and I want to replace the Right, and not just Netanyahu. We need a real Left with values that says these things.”