Even without an agreement on the formation of a new government, Knesset Member Ahmed Tibi is already pointing to where the first major political battle could take place the day after the election. In an interview with Meet the Press, the Hadash-Ta’al chairman outlined, in part, moves that Arab parties could pursue if opponents of the current government secure a parliamentary majority. At the center of the discussion was the possibility of replacing Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, along with additional measures Tibi declined to detail at this stage.
“I did not say that I want to be prime minister; the Joint List does not demand that," Tibi said when asked what would happen if, after the election, no majority could be formed to establish a government without the Arab parties. “There are all kinds of things, a range of steps, right after the election, that can change the reality."
“Do you think we will vote for Amir Ohana? We will support the candidate against him, opposite him, for speaker of the Knesset," Tibi said. “You know what the significance is of electing a Knesset speaker right after the election. The story is over. It is total control of the Knesset."
The possibility of the Arab parties recommending a candidate for prime minister to the president also arose during the interview. Tibi suggested that this time, however, Arab parties could go further.
“We united three parties and we reestablished the Joint List. I would have preferred four parties in the Joint List," he said. “But there are two lists: the Joint List and Ra’am. We also united, we also made a surplus agreement, and there is also an increase in the expected voter turnout in Arab society. Today we are at 60% voter turnout."
“Look at what is happening in the oppoition bloc - they’re fighting among themselves. They can’t agree on who will be the prime minister candidate. So the problem is the Jews, not the Arabs. There are polls that say it’s 54, 52, 53, 54 of 60 seats. That means that without a strong Joint List, it’s impossible to change this terrible reality," he said.
Likud quickly seized on Tibi’s remarks, portraying them as evidence that opponents of the government would depend on Arab parties to form an alternative coalition.
“Ahmed Tibi tonight exposed the plan of Eisenkot, Liberman and Yair Golan to establish a left-wing government with the Arab parties and says, ‘Without the Arab parties it’s impossible to replace the government; we will replace the Knesset speaker immediately after the election. A vote for Eisenkot and Liberman puts the keys to the state in the hands of Ahmed Tibi and Mansour Abbas."
Ohana himself also linked Tibi’s comments to the possibility of political cooperation following the election. “MK Tibi is angry because for the first time in many years, he did not get to serve as deputy speaker of the Knesset. Tonight, he revealed his and Eisenkot’s plan for the day after the election: to replace me with a left-wing candidate, on the way to their government together. The Israeli public received more proof tonight that Eisenkot will form a minority government with the support of the Arab parties, if he manages to do so. You have the chance to prevent it."