Joint List pledges to block Netanyahu’s return as new Knesset begins work

The commitment was reiterated on 10 November, when the 26th Knesset was sworn in and the Joint List held its first parliamentary faction meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen said the alliance would serve as a “safety net” for Arab society and a parliamentary barrier against the return of the Netanyahu-led government. He emphasised that the list’s 11 members had a responsibility to translate the support of more than half a million voters into political influence.

Jabareen said the Joint List intended to act both offensively in parliament and defensively against racism and political persecution. He identified organised crime and violence in Arab communities, discrimination in the allocation of public resources, home demolitions, police violence and restrictions on freedom of expression among the urgent issues facing its constituency.

The faction’s parliamentary strategy is also taking shape around cooperation with other opposition forces. On 10 November, Al-Ittihad reported that Gadi Eisenkot had informed his allies that Matan Kahana, a member of his Yashar party, would be the candidate for Knesset speaker, replacing Likud’s Amir Ohana. The move formed part of the opposition bloc’s arrangements for the new parliamentary term.

The Joint List’s position is to facilitate political change without joining a government whose policies it does not support. Its leaders have indicated that parliamentary support for an alternative administration should be accompanied by concrete measures addressing discrimination and the living conditions of Arab citizens.

Joint List responds to Netanyahu’s attack

The opening of the new Knesset was accompanied by a confrontation over the legitimacy of Arab political representation. In his speech following the swearing-in ceremony, Netanyahu attacked the Joint List and the United Arab List (Ra’am), questioning the prospect of relying on Arab representatives to form a government.

The Joint List responded in a statement on 10 November, describing the speech as racist and inciting. It said that more than half a million citizens had entrusted their votes to the alliance in order to remove Netanyahu and his government from power.

The statement pledged to do everything possible to fulfil this mandate as quickly as possible, rejecting attempts to intimidate Arab voters or undermine the legitimacy of their political representation.

CPI and Hadash call for wider democratic mobilisation

The developments in parliament reflect the broader position of the Communist Party of Israel (CPI/Maki) and Hadash. The two organisations have stressed that the struggle against the far right cannot be confined to parliamentary manoeuvres. They are calling for broader cooperation between Arab and Jewish democratic forces, trade unions, youth and women's movements, local authorities and civil-society organisations.

The CPI has also condemned the political persecution directed against Hadash leader Ayman Odeh and other Arab political representatives and activists. It has called for an end to political arrests and for the release of journalist and activist Abed Abu Shehadeh.

In its information letter, “The 2026 Israeli Elections and the Tasks Ahead,” dated 7 November and circulated internationally on 9 November, the CPI outlined its assessment of the election results and the tasks facing the party and Hadash. The letter also defended the Joint List’s unity and called for a broader popular movement linking the defence of democratic rights and equality to the struggle against occupation and for a just peace.

(Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)