Israel’s left-wing bloc is finalizing plans to form a full government with Arab parties after the election, according to closed-door conversations in recent days. Under the plan, Ra’am would join the coalition while the Joint List would provide external support.
3+The emerging move marks a shift from the strategy promoted in recent months. Until now, the bloc discussed passing a “defendant law” designed to prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from forming a government. That plan is now being abandoned.
According to sources involved in the talks, the reason is fear of legal difficulty in passing a personal, retroactive law that would survive a Supreme Court challenge. Instead of relying on the law, the bloc is seeking to build a political majority that would enable a functioning government over time.
3+Under the plan, a law establishing a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 events would be advanced first after the election. A full government would then be formed—not a transitional government and not a temporary minority government. Ra’am would serve as a coalition partner, while the Joint List would provide a safety net to prevent the government from falling and enable passage of laws even without a Jewish majority.
Tens of Billions and a List of Demands
Negotiations with the Arab factions are discussing budgets totaling tens of billions of shekels. Among other things, a plan to combat violence in Arab society is being considered, based on direct transfer of funds to local authorities for projects designed, as those involved define it, “to calm the field.”
3+Also on the table is formulating an agreed timetable for withdrawal from Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. According to information we obtained, the clauses are still under negotiation and no final agreement has been reached on all of them.
Another demand concerns the distribution of Knesset positions. The Arab factions are asking to receive control of one of the central committees. The Joint List is specifically demanding chairmanship of the Interior Committee.
3+Liberman Still Insisting
Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman continues at this stage to demand advancing the “defendant law” and is also insisting on some of the other clauses. However, his partners estimate that he will ultimately agree to give up the law in favor of forming the broad government.
The assessment in the bloc is that a government based primarily on a personal law would be fragile and could fall within a year. Therefore, they are considering forming a government defined in the talks as “fully ideological,” which would rest on broad Arab support and attempt to serve over time. As of now, the plan is still in the negotiation stages, and not all its details have been finalized.