Ofer Shelah
Ofer ShelahHillel Meir/ TPS

Blue and White MK Ofer Shelah on Wednesday told 103 FM Radio that his party does not rule out forming a minority government with the Joint Arab List.

Earlier this month, a survey showed that 76% of Israeli Jews and 44% of Israeli Arabs do not want the Joint Arab List in the Knesset. Arabs make up about 20% of Israel's population.

"[Israeli Prime Minister] Binyamin Netanyahu does not have and never had any intention of forming a government," Shelah told 103 FM Radio. "He also hasn't made any effort in the twenty days he's had the mandate. The moment we receive the mandate, and I hope that Netanyahu will do the right and proper thing, which he did not do after the previous elections, we will make every effort to form a government, after the system knows Netanyahu failed. When the public knows that Netanyahu is on his way to court, even though it hasn't been publicly announced."

When asked why Netanyahu is not making any effort to form a government, Shelah said: "I have no idea. Maybe he knows he can't do it. I don't know why Netanyahu does what he does. I know one thing: Everything points to him being Prime Minister somehow or other on the day he stands trial. It could be that he'll decide a third round of elections will push off the process by a few months, and he'll throw the entire country into chaos. Maybe that will ensure that when his trial begins, he'll still be prime minister. That's the only logical explanation I can see."

"We need to do one thing, and we will try to do it from the moment we receive the mandate. Blue and White and the Likud, even without other parties, can form a stable government. They can sit and build the unity government and move on. With the Likud's prerequisites, that's impossible."

Shelah also emphasized that his party will not agree to sit with Netanyahu, blaming the refusal on Netanyahu's pending court cases. "We will not sit in a government whose leader is indicted. The idea that a prime minister of Israel will live on Balfour Street and his job will be to get up and go to court is unacceptable."

Refusing to rule out a minority government with the Joint Arab List, Shelah said: "Nothing is off the table when it comes to the efforts to form a government and save us from a third round of elections. We have a negotiating team and we have a political capsule which I am part of and which leads it. We will not take anything off the table in the quest to redeem Israel from a third round of elections."