Democrats leader Yair Golan begins talks with Arab parties — RMF24

In Israel, Yair Golan, the leader of the left-wing Democrats party, has begun talks with Arab political forces on creating a joint bloc to participate in the formation of the future government. RMF24 reports, citing Israel’s Channel 14.

A bloc with 27 seats

According to the TV channel, Golan seeks to agree on cooperation with the Joint List and the Ra'am party. These two Arab forces hold a total of 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset. Together with the Democrats, their bloc could count on 27 seats.

It is expected that the joint bloc will negotiate joining the future government or supporting it from outside. According to Channel 14, Golan wants to avoid a situation in which other opposition parties reach an agreement with only one Arab force, leaving the other outside the negotiations.

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US ambassador’s reaction

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in an interview with Newsmax that the participation of Arab politicians in the future coalition would be troubling. He also accused some Arab politicians of failing to condemn the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023.

At the same time, Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas and Joint List head Yousef Jabareen have repeatedly condemned the attack. After the parliamentary elections, neither the camp of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his opponents won a majority in the Knesset. RMF24 names a national unity government involving Likud and the main opposition forces as one alternative to an agreement with Arab parties.