Economy Minister Orna Barbivai told Channel 12 News in an interview on Sunday that, as far as she is concerned, there is no problem in expanding the coalition to maintain its stability by having the predominantly Arab Joint List joining it.
"I suggest that no one rush to eulogize the government. We will look into collaborations with everyone, I support any effort to preserve this coalition. I do not rule out sitting in the coalition with [Ahmed] Tibi and [Ayman] Odeh and members of the Joint List," Barbivai said.
She later walked back the comments and wrote on Twitter, "The Joint List will not be part of our coalition. Cooperation in the Knesset is possible just as Bibi did all these years."
Meanwhile, Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel was interviewed on Galei Tzahal (IDF Radio) and rejected outright the possibility that the government would seek the help of the Joint List.
"This is nonsense. Unlike the Likud, which has made countless deals with them in the past year and they are all documented, I have proven that I am against forming a coalition with them. They are lying and then reverberating the lie," said Hendel.
"Let there be no doubt, if they can form a coalition with the Joint List tomorrow, everyone will stand still and do it. Did you see how a year ago they hugged Mansour Abbas in front of the cameras with and then a second later they remembered that they had a problem with him?" he added.