The Joint List will provide a parliamentary safety net to any government seeking to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the election, party leader Yousef Jabareen declared in a Saturday evening video statement.
“After the election, we will impose our terms on any political configuration in Israel,” Jabareen said, vowing that the Joint List will use “every tool” at its disposal.
“We have complete freedom of action, without restrictions, to replace the Netanyahu government, and we will use every tool at our disposal,” he said. “We will serve as a safety net, but first and foremost, a safety net for our own public.”
In his announcement, Jabareen laid out a series of demands as conditions for providing political support to a minority government, which includes a clear plan to eradicate Arab sector crime, with a timeline, budget, and oversight of its implementation.
Jabareen’s demands also included halting home demolitions by approving zoning plans and regularizing construction, allocating land to young couples, and recognizing unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev. He added demands in the areas of employment, housing, and education, as well as recognition of the national and civil rights of Arab Israeli citizens and a political horizon for Palestinians.
“We are not giving anyone a blank check,” he stressed. “They want our support? They should come and negotiate with us over the demands of our community. We are capable of making a difference and having an influence, but influence does not mean we have to give everything up.”
Jabareen’s announcement renewed speculation that the Joint List, which consists of the Hadash, Ta’al, and Balad parties, could allow a minority government led by Yashar head Gadi Eisenkot to be sworn in after the October 27 election, if neither side is able to win a 61-seat majority.
The Joint List could facilitate a government’s formation by abstaining in a confidence vote, allowing it to take office without formally joining the coalition.
Jabareen also claimed that, according to the data available to him, it would be impossible to form an alternative government to Netanyahu’s without negotiations with the Joint List. “This is our opportunity to strengthen our voice, increase our representation, and assert our presence,” he declared.