Joint List vows to oust Knesset Speaker Ohana and block Netanyahu

Ahmad Tibi, a prominent leader of the Joint List, announced on Sunday that the party will support initiatives to oust Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana immediately after the upcoming elections and will block Benjamin Netanyahu from serving as an interim prime minister. Speaking in Arabic, Tibi stated that the Joint List is ready to provide a "safety net" for an alternative government, conditional on commitments to combat crime, halt home demolitions, and pursue a political horizon for the Arab community.

"We are choosing between the bad and the worse," Tibi told his supporters. "No one enters parliament to remain in the opposition and not influence events. The new government will not be a government of peace, but we must reach a meeting point that serves our society without abandoning our fundamental principles." He added that the party would back the controversial "Indictment Bill" aimed at blocking Netanyahu, alongside securing key positions in the Knesset Finance Committee before any coalition is formed.

Tibi pointed out that current polling shows neither the right-wing bloc nor the opposition bloc reaching the necessary 61-seat majority, positioning the Joint List as a decisive political force. He criticized opposition leaders such as Avigdor Lieberman, Gadi Eisenkot, and Naftali Bennett for categorically rejecting the inclusion of Arab parties in any future coalition, arguing that this hardline stance validates the Joint List's independent strategy.

This follows a similar announcement eight days ago by Joint List Chairman Yousef Jabareen, who stated the party's willingness to negotiate a safety net to replace the current government led by Netanyahu, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Bezalel Smotrich. Despite these overtures, major figures in the anti-Netanyahu opposition bloc have repeatedly ruled out formal political cooperation with Arab parties.