With polls showing neither the Right or Left will be able to secure a coalition, the Joint Arab List could supply a significant boost to the Left in September if it breaks its longstanding tradition of remaining outside the government. Such a deal, however, could also boost Netanyahu’s chances of winning the election.
Ayman Odeh, head of the Joint Arab List, signaled a potential major political shift when he announced last week that his party would consider joining a center-left government led by Benny Gantz of the Blue and White party.
Since the creation of the state, no Arab party has ever recommended a Jewish candidate for prime minister or sat in a ruling coalition. Yet, with neither Israel’s right- or left-wing blocs able to secure a coalition following the previous election, Arab party mandates would represent a significant boost to the left should they break their longstanding tradition of remaining outside the government.
Yet such an alliance remains unlikely. Blue and White No. 3 and former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya’alon said that “as long as the Arab parties do not accept Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, Blue and White cannot sit with them in a government.”
Odeh, for his part, poised four conditions for entering a Blue and White-led government.
“The first,” said Odeh, “is the construction of a new Arab city and redoing the rules to allow for more Arab construction and stopping demolitions in Arab areas.”
The second condition, he said, was “governmental focus on fighting crime in Arab areas, including an operation to gather all the illegal weapons in the Arab population. Third is in the welfare realm, including building a public hospital in an Arab city and raising stipends for the elderly.”
The last condition was “direct negotiations with the Palestinian leaders to bring an end to the occupation and to establish a Palestinian state, alongside canceling the nation-state law.”
“I want to lead Arab politics from a politics of protest to a politics of influence,” said Odeh. “We are 20% of Israel’s population and we are needed to bring equality, democracy and social justice to Israel.”
The most problematic of these conditions for Blue and White would likely be the last. The nation-state law, passed by the Knesset in 2018, sets in law that Israel is “the national home of the Jewish people.” Blue and White has talked about “correcting” the law to make sure it emphasizes equality for all of Israel’s citizens, but they do not favor repealing it completely.
Gantz, who is also a former IDF chief of staff, stressed that his party’s sights are not on negotiations with the Arab parties, saying, “We are calling for a unity government” and clarifying that such a coalition would include “anyone who is sane and Zionist.”
Even if Blue and White found a way to accept the Joint List’s conditions, polls currently indicate the left would still need the help of Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party to secure a 61-MK majority needed to form a government.
Yet MK Oded Forer of Yisrael Beiteinu told JNS that “there is zero chance we would join a government which includes the Arab parties.”
Forer’s statement makes it extremely unlikely that the Joint Arab List would ever be invited into a Blue and White-led coalition.
Ironically, the greatest impact of Odeh’s dramatic announcement could actually be a boost to the Likud party.
Tourism Minister Yariv Levin told JNS that a potential alliance between Blue and White and the Arab parties may ultimately bring more votes to the Likud party, boosting Netanyahu’s chances of winning the election.
“Now it’s official and the truth has come to light,” said Levin. “Ayman Odeh’s declaration proves what we have been saying all along: Gantz and [Blue and White co-leader Yair Lapid] are planning to form a government with the Arab parties.”
Levin issued a warning to all voters: “A vote for Blue and White or a vote for Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party is a vote for Ayman Odeh as education minister and Ahmed Tibi for public security minister.”
Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.
From April 10 2019 Jerusalem Post. Author Ben Bresky. No information about Ben Bresky’s background. Certainly reads to me like a puff piece for Gantz.
From August 6 Jerusalem Post. The author, Yonah Jeremy Bob, definitely wants Netanyahu out. He has been “covering” the Public Prosecutors case against Netanyahu for the Post for the past two years, consistently from the prosecutors point of view. He has another “revelation” from the prosecutor’s office today, August 28.
@ Adam Dalgliesh:As I have had several writers and editors of the Post as friends during the years. I find your commentary not only wrong but offensive. It is a Zionist Publication first and last. It will print things from writers with various perspectives. It is a very good news organization. In fact from a broad based even handed news reporting the most objective of the Israeli English written papers.
You’d think you were writing about some of the kookier leftist writers at HaAretz.
The JP is not so much pro-Gantz as it is pro-Arab. It has repeatedly accused Israel of “racism” towards Arabs, and criticized it for failing to be sufficiently conciliatory towards the PLO and Hamas. It wants anti-Zionist Arabs in the government. It is hostile to “settlements” and “settlers.” Although they may not be especially enthusiastic about Gantz personally, they realize that only a Gantz-led leftist coalition at least might move toward these pro-Arab, anti-Zionist policies, And so they want Netanyahu, whom they think (perhaps incorrectly) to be anti-Arab out at all costs, and a leftist coalition that includes the Arabs to take his place. Since Gantz would have to be at least the nominal leader of this coalition, they much prefer him as Prime Minister to Netanyahu.
@ Adam Dalgliessh:I have read all the above you reference and do not agree with your conclusions. Anyway I have had enough of this thread.
Bear–I now think you were right and I was wrong that the Jerusalem Post has never explicitly endorsed Benny Gantz’s candidacy. And it has not been especially enthusiastic about him. But the Post did explicitly endorse including the Arab Joint List in the next government in an editorial published August 23. It also spefically endorsed, in that editorial, a similar endorsement by one of its columnists the day before (August 22). A day or two later, their columnist Jeff Barak, who is a former editor-in-Chief of the Jerusalem Post, also endorsed the inclusion of the Arab List (openly anti-Zionist) in the next government. The JP editorial also explicitly praised the “Democratic Union” for endorsing the inclusion of of the United List in the next government. And it noted that Netanyahu made it clear that he would never include the Arab list in any government that he and the Likud led. It pointed out that Yair Lapid said he was open to the inclusion of the Ayman Odeh faction of the United List . This all adds up to a backhanded endorsement of a Gantz Prime Ministership, since everyone knows that the Arab parties will never serve in a Likud government, but might serve in a Blue and White led government.
Just today, the Jerusalem Post published an opinion piece titled “An Open Letter to Benny Gantz,” appealing to him to accept Ayman Odeh’s offer to join a Blue and White government in order to “banish” Likud and the haredi parties from the government “forever.” In view of the preceding editorials and opinion pieces of the past week, any reasonable reader to conclude that the JP editors wanted Netanyahu to lose the election, and a leftist coalition headed by Gantz to win.
Other evidence for the Post’s desire to defeat Netanyahu at all costs is an “analysis” of the prosecution case against Netanyahu by Yonah Jeremy Bob, claiming that what a former aid to Netanyahu has prosecutors has “sealed his fate.” Bob’s summary of what this potential witness has allegedly told prosecutors didn’t sound very incriminating to me. Please check out the Bob “analysis” and give me your opinion of it, Bear.
Then there was an edirial earlier this month in the JP, ( I think it was August 9) entitled “The Problem of Corruption in Israel) (I can’t recall the exact title, but the word “Corruption” was definitely part of the headline), accusing Bibi and at least three other ministers in his government of corruption, and arguing that it was urgent that Israel’s government be cleansed of corruption. One would have to be dense not to see this as an appeal to vote Bibi, Likud, and the haredi parties (whom the editorial also accused of corruption) out of office.
All this amounts to a back-handed endorsement of Gantz as Prime Minister, if only because he won’t include Netanyahu and Likud in his government, is unlikely to include the haredi parties,and is open to including Meretz and possibly the Arab anti_Zionist parties. The JPs election preference is ABN (Anybody but Netanyahu).
Reporting on the Blue/White by the Chief Political Correspondent of the Post. Sounds like reporting and not endorsement. Certainly not positive news. Perhaps someone who is a Blue/White voter will blow the article out of proportion and say the Post has a conspiracy against Blue/White
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-Elections/Are-Gantzs-gaffes-getting-to-Blue-and-White-599418
@ Adam Dalgliesh:
One of the longtime writers at the Post Herb Kenion wrote this article below sticking up for Bibi. If the Post had a conspiracy against Bibi it would not be allowed in the publication. Then that claim is is simply not true.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Netanyahu-Damned-for-bad-ties-with-Obama-damned-for-good-ties-with-Trump-599014
@ Adam Dalgliesh:So I do not see you meeting the challenge of where the Post endorsed the Blue/White or endorsing a coalition with the Blue/White and Arab parties.
I read the Post on a regular basis for decades and they report both positive and negative things about the Likud and Bibi. I think you are groping to validate your positions. Then everyone is entitled to their position, and you certainly have that right. In this case I do not even remotely share it.
I enjoy many of their writers and the editors.
@ Bear Klein: Even if we assume that Mideast Monitor’s quotations are accurate, you should notice that they are non-denial denials. Ashkenazi is not the party’s leader and cannot speak for the Blue and White coalition as a whole. He speaks only for himself and maybe one colleague.. Lapid said he he would rule out serving with the Balad party, but not with the other parties on the United List, who except the leadership of Ayman Odeh, who proposed a coalition with Blue and White. A desire to form a coalition with only the mor “Moderate” wing of the Arab coalition (which is still anti-Zionist and anti-Israel) is hardly a denial that Lapid and his colleagures want to include the ‘Moderate” anti-Zionist Arabs, who include the Communists and relatively moderate Islamists, in their future government.
@ Bear Klein: Middle East monitor is a pro-Arab and anti-Israel newspaper like Haaretz. Like Haaretz, written mainly by pro-PLO, pro-Hamas Israeli Jews. There are a lot of these intellectual-moral traitors (I call them “vipers”) among the Israeli intellectual-journalistic set. They put England’s pre-World War II Clivden Set to shame by the extent of their willingness to collaborate with their country’s enemies.
In any case, I wouldn’t take for granted that anything you read in Mideast Monistor is true.
@ Bear Klein:
@ Bear Klein:
From today’s Jerusalem Post. A typical example of the Post’s biased coverage of Netanyahu, Shaked and other right-of-center politicians. The supposed “scandal” is a report in Haaretz that Shaked “pimped” herself to Netanyahu by promising that she could “control” Attorney General Mandelblit, and arrange for him not to prosecute Netanyahu if he reappointed her Justice Minister. Of course Netanyahu and Shaked immediately denied it. The JP offered no evidence that such a “scandal” ever occurred, except for a claim that the leftist parties “are taking the allegation very seriously” and are protesting outside Mandelblit’s house demanding he take action against Netanyahu(they’ve been holding these demonstrations for months in any case).
In other words, there is no “scandal,” only an unspupported claim that there is a scandal by a newspaper noted for its anti-Israel, pro-PLO and pro-Hamas reporting. Yet the JP, which clearly knows better, calls this unfounded accusation a “scandal.” Plain evidence of extreme bias.@ Bear Klein:
@ Adam Dalgliesh:
I challenge you to back up your claim that the Jerusalem Post has endorsed the Blue & White. Please show me a quote from the editor or paper with a link. They have NOT endorsed anyone.
I also challenge your claim that Jerusalem Post is advocating for a coalition with the Arab List? Kindly find a quote from the editor or something with the paper endorsing this and a link.
They have writers who span the whole gambit of political views. Perhaps you are confusing the view of a writer with that of the publication?
I am not a fan of Blue/White or Gantz but saying they will sit with the Arab Joint List is not accurate.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190822-israel-election-joint-list-head-says-willing-to-join-gantz-government-is-quickly-rebuked/
@ Adam Dalgliesh:
I think you are wrong. Immediately after Oded floated his trial balloon the Blue & White said this was not going to happen.
https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Gabi-Ashkenazi-rules-out-coalition-with-Ayman-Odeh-599365
@ Bear Klein: Bear,The Jerusalem Post hates Netanyahu and is constantly dumping filth on him. Their reporter Yonah Jeremy Bob is constantly reporting leaks from the state prosecutors office , with all sorts of allegations against Netanyahu and numerous other Likud and other right-wing politicians serving in the government. Their is never any criticism of these leaks and rarely any replies from the accused or their supporters. The anti-Netanyahu, anti-Likud, and anti-right bias is or should be obvious.
They have also enthusiastically praised Benny Gantz and have endorsed his candidacy for Prime Minister.
THey even published an article by their long-time security reporter Yossi Melman calling on the Shin Bet or the Mossad to “remove” Netanyahu. How they could do that wasn’t specified. But given these organizations training and work experience, I don’t see how they could accomplish this except by assassination.
The quotation in Mr. Lipman’s article from Gantz seems to me to be a “non-denial denial.” He says that Blue-White is “calling for” a unity government with “anyone who is sane and a Zionist.” He did not say he wasn’t open to other options if such a unity government could not be formed. And since he has said that his party would not join a coalition headed by Netanyahu, as has Leiberman, the chances of forming such a unity government are slim. As is usual with Gantz, one can only tell what his plans are from what he does notsay.
I think Lipman is probably correct that the push for including the United Arab list in the government, obviously a trial balloon by Blue and White using their informal spokesmen at JP, will help Netanyahu and the rightist parties generally in the election.
@ Adam Dalgliesh:Could you be confusing the Times of Israel (TOI) and the Jerusalem Post (Jpost)?
Horowitz the editor/publisher of the TOI is leftist and criticized the Blue & White for ruling out the possibility of including the Joint List in a coalition.
The Blue White keeps saying they will be in a coalition with the Likud.
@ Adam Dalgliesh:I do not view JPOST as leftist. In my view they report on all political spectrum’s and may be lean to right of center. They try and report as news reporters not partisans for the most part.
Do more research Gantz and Lapid have commented on having the Joint List in their coalition and are against it. So have many others in their party. Dig back about one week in your research if you decide to do it. You must have missed it. I believe Lapid was the first to jump on this as opposed.
The Jerusalem Post has launched a campaign to include the anti-Israel, anti-Zionist United Arab List in the next government, to be led by Gantz and Lapid. Since the JP is only a mouthpiece for the leftist parties, they are obviously behind this push, and want to include the Arab anti-Zionists in their government, in order to gain a majority. This is a very sinister and menacing development that should be reported and discussed on Israpundit. Bear and Edgar, it is exactly what I predicted.
A few Knesset candidates running on the Gantz branch of the Blue and White alliance have claimed that the party won’t enter into an alliance with the anti-Zionist Arabs. But Gantz and Lapid havebeen absolutely silent on the matter. And the thing about Gantz is that one can only infer what his actually agenda is by what he does not say, not by what he does say. This is in itself a very sinister characteristic in a politician, who should share with the public his program and intentions.
If the Arab parties do not accept Israel as a Jewish and democratic state as Yaalon says how are they not banned by the Supreme Court in violation of Law 7b, like Ben Ari, Merzel, Gopshtein, and the Kach party?