Israel Politics: Analyst says refusal to ally with Arab parties is reckless

Former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas says the opposition is acting recklessly by refusing to work with Arab-led parties after their strong showing in the recent election. He told NPR that this reluctance is myopic. The comment comes as political observers doubt a partnership will form because several opposition leaders have expressed unwillingness to collaborate with those groups.

Pinkas, who advised former Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Shimon Peres, outlined two options for opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot. Eisenkot could form a coalition with the Arab-led parties or create a minority government with their outside support. This structure would allow them to back major legislation and confidence votes without formally joining the cabinet.

Both Eisenkot and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have rejected the idea of working with these parties. Their support comes largely from Palestinian citizens of Israel. Netanyahu called the prospect of a government relying on their support a shame and a disgrace. Pinkas argued that this stance ignores the political reality on the ground.

The analyst attributed the rising support for Arab-led parties to increasing crime and murder rates in Arab communities. He pointed to violence involving organized crime groups as a primary driver. Pinkas said Netanyahu's government willfully ignored their plight by failing to deploy police or investigate the killings.

Pinkas also challenged the argument that relying on Arab-led parties would undermine Israel's identity as a Jewish state. He asked why the same logic did not apply to ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties. Those parties describe themselves as non-Zionist but are currently part of the ruling coalition.

When asked about Netanyahu's chances of forming a government, Pinkas was direct. He stated that Mr. Netanyahu cannot form a government. He repeated that the Prime Minister cannot do it.