Blue and White MK Yoaz Hendel responded Thursday morning to MK Odeh’s declaration whereby the Arab Joint List does not rule out support for a Gantz-Lapid coalition.
“Blue and White will establish a broad and state-oriented nationalist unity government,” Hendel said. “We respect the Arab citizens of Israel and see them as citizens entitled to all rights, but we will not sit with the Arab parties, which fundamentally deny the existence of Israel as a Jewish state. Period.”
Earlier, Joint List Chair Ayman Odeh told Yediot Aharonot that he is ready to enter a coalition of Center/Left parties after the elections if Blue and White and the other parties meet a series of basic requirements regarding Israeli Arabs and the political process.
Odeh's statement of willingness marks a historic change because Arab parties have always stayed out of the coalition and government.