Signal from the Arab MKs to Netanyahu? - Ben Shaul

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by Ben Shaul

MK Mansour Abbas hints that if Netanyahu acknowledges the Arab public is legitimate "there is something to talk about."

MKs Mansour Abbas, Mtanes Shihadeh and Heba Yazbak

Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash 90

MK Mansour Abbas (Joint List) made clear on Sunday that if Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu publicly declares that the Arab public is legitimate, "there is something to talk about," as he put it.

"I have no illusions, but the Prime Minister has to come out publicly and say, 'Citizens of the State of Israel and their legitimate votes and representatives in the political system, we should come in contact with them and treat them as we treat any political power in the Knesset and represent an entire public.' If he does that, we can start thinking about where we are headed," Abbas told Kan 11 News in an interview.

The comments come amid speculations that Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz intends to act towards the formation of a minority government that is supported by the Joint List party.

A survey published on Sunday found that at least half of Blue and White supporters are opposed to a minority government alongside the Joint List.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu met on Sunday with Ministers Yisrael Katz, Yariv Levin, Ofir Akunis, Miri Regev and Yoav Galant, along with the Likud’s campaign team.

Those present at the meeting said that the Likud is behaving as though the elections are not yet over and its activists intend to campaign against the option of a minority government. The campaign will include signs bearing the slogan: "Yes to a Jewish state, no to supporters of terrorism."

In addition, Likud plans to exert pressure on three MKs from Blue and White – Yoaz Hendel, Zvi Hauser and Orit Farkash-Hacohen.

On Sunday it was reported that Hendel and Hauser are expected to oppose the formation of a government supported by the Joint List.

Hendel and Hauser were the ones who halted Blue and White’s attempt after the previous elections to promote a plan for a minority government with outside support from the Joint List.


Ben Shaul

Source: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/277014

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