While polls indicate that opponents of Netanyahu would need Arab parties to form a government, MK Ofer Cassif, the Jewish representative in the Arab "Hadash" party, has said he would support a government led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett "if there are guiding principles he can live with."
"We have already proven our sense of responsibility in the past," he said. "When we recommended [Benny] Gantz and he turned his back on us and joined [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu - he was clearly a right-wing figure - it was not easy for us. We understood then that the greatest danger was Netanyahu, and we had doubts and internal debates. It was very difficult, but we ultimately recommended him out of responsibility," Cassif said.
Regarding Bennett, Cassif stressed that what matters are the government’s guiding principles rather than the individual leading it, noting that the party could support his candidacy if it means toppling the current government.
"Today, we still understand that Netanyahu and those around him are a major danger," Cassif alleged.
"The question is not who stands against him, but what he offers. If a candidate who wishes to be recommended to the President and who presents guiding principles I can live with - even if they are not identical to my ideology - we will do everything, out of a desire to be rid of the current government."