The Communist Party of Israel (CPI) has outlined four possible scenarios for the formation of the next government, calling for the removal of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and warning against attempts by the far right to undermine the electoral results.
Communist Party of Israel Calls for Netanyahu’s Ouster
In a statement published on November 7, the Communist Party of Israel (CPI) identified four possibilities: a government led by Gadi Eisenkot, a unity government with Netanyahu, another Netanyahu-led government, or new elections if no coalition can be formed within the constitutional deadline.
CPI noted that Eisenkot, backed by the Zionist “Change Bloc,” could receive the mandate to form a government with the support of the Joint List and Ra’am, whose recommendations would bring the total to 67. However, it stressed that Eisenkot's stated intention to establish the broadest possible “Zionist government” contradicts the parliamentary arithmetic, since his bloc cannot reach 61 seats without Arab-Palestinian representatives.
The party warned that a unity government with Netanyahu would perpetuate the policies responsible for the current crisis, while another Netanyahu-led government would depend on defections from the opposition. New elections, meanwhile, remain a possibility Netanyahu is actively pursuing.
CPI and Hadash will do everything within their power to prevent this and to translate the electoral results into the removal of the current government, while remaining ready for every eventuality – new elections included.
Joint List calls for Netanyahu’s removal
CPI defended the Joint List's decision to recommend Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog, arguing that it was necessary to prevent another unity government with Netanyahu and fulfil the wishes of more than 500,000 Arab-Palestinian and Jewish voters seeking the government's removal.
The party stressed that removing the Netanyahu-Ben-Gvir-Smotrich government is a historic task extending far beyond domestic politics.
The danger posed by the Netanyahu-Ben-Gvir-Smotrich government goes beyond discrimination, home demolitions and the spread of crime and racism afflicting our communities. It is a government of war, extermination and displacement in Gaza, of deepening occupation and settlement, of unchecked settler terror in the West Bank, and of a drive to liquidate the Palestinian cause.
CPI also warned that the continuation of the government threatens the entire region, particularly amid US President Donald Trump's support for Israel's policies of war, annexation and displacement.
No illusions about the opposition
While demanding Netanyahu's removal, CPI cautioned against presenting Eisenkot and the other opposition forces as a genuine alternative to the government's policies. It recalled Eisenkot's responsibility for the so-called “Dahiyya Doctrine” and stressed that a change of government would not automatically end the occupation or recognize Palestinian national rights.
Nevertheless, the party argued that removing the current government could halt what it described as a fascist trajectory and create greater opportunities for Arab-Jewish political and mass struggle.
We expect that a different government could bring political dynamics and struggle opportunities. That outcome will not come from a change of government alone. It requires our own independent, organized struggle.
CPI reiterated that the Joint List demands a parliamentary safety net protecting Arab-Palestinian citizens, vulnerable communities and exploited classes in exchange for supporting an alternative government. It ruled out joining a government and assuming collective responsibility for policies it opposes.
The party also insisted that excluding Arab representatives from government participation must not mean denying their right to political influence.
The right of Arab citizens and their representatives to influence political decisions is full and equal, and it cannot be conditioned on surrendering their national identity or their democratic, anti-occupation positions.
Finally, CPI condemned attempts to challenge voting in Arab towns, discredit high voter turnout and intimidate political activists. The party warned that Netanyahu and the extreme right could seek to use state institutions to persecute Arab political leaders if an alternative government depends on Arab members of the Knesset.