Ayman Odeh
Ayman OdehEliran Aharon

Joint Arab List Chairman MK Ayman Odeh on Saturday emphasized that Blue and White Chairman MK Benny Gantz cannot form a coalition without his party.

At a Shabbatarbut (political and cultural forums that take place on the Sabbath) event in the southern city of Be'er Sheva, Odeh said: "I don't know if Gantz and the Likud will succeed in forming a unity government without us, there's a chance of that."

"If there isn't a nationalist unity government, there's no doubt that Benny Gantz does not have the ability to form a government without the Joint Arab List."

He added: "We want to prevent [Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu from continuing in his position. But that requires Blue and White telling us what their true platform us. But I don't know what it is. If it is a platform of peace, democracy, and closeness between Jews and Arabs - we will support that seriously. If it is unilateral annexation and all sorts of ideas that lean to the right - then we won't support it. We need to hear from them the day after the elections."

Earlier this week, the Joint Arab List said it is willing to join a Blue and White-led coalition, on condition that Yisrael Beytenu is not included.

Yisrael Beytenu's Chairman, MK Avigdor Liberman, who Gantz is also very much dependent on for everything regarding his chance at forming a government, has clarified that from his perspective, there is no chance he will cooperate with the Joint Arab List: "Yisrael Beytenu will not sit and will not cooperate, directly or indirectly, with terror supporters, including the Joint Arab List," Liberman said Friday.