Top Arab Israeli leader says opposition must join to oust Netanyahu

The leader of the largest Arab-majority party in the incoming Israeli Parliament told AFP on Nov 2 that it was time for reluctant opposition members to accept "political reality" and join forces to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.



Yousef Jabareen, head of the Joint List, pointed to the inconclusive results of last week's election, in which the pro-Netanyahu bloc won 53 seats and the opposition camp won 48 – both well short of a 61-seat majority.



But the Joint List and its fellow Arab-led party Ra'am bagged 11 and eight seats respectively, enough to push the opposition over the finish line should it choose to accept their support.



The Arab parties' performance "is what is stopping Netanyahu from celebrating the continuation of his government", he said, calling it "a far-right government with all the dangers it represents"



Arab Israelis, who make up around 20% of the population, are descendants of Palestinians who stayed after Israel's creation in 1948..