Golan Calls on Opposition Bloc to Form Government With Arab Parties

Democrats leader Yair Golan called on Israel’s opposition to form a government with Arab parties after the October 27 election. He argued that a coalition including Ra’am and the Joint List could command 65 seats, compared with 55 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc. Golan said Israeli Arab voters should not be excluded from coalition-building and urged opposition leaders to overcome their hesitation. Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen also signaled readiness to help oust Netanyahu. Election results were still being counted as the political negotiations began.