Former Israeli Diplomat Calls Opposition Refusal to Partner With Arab Parties 'Reckless'

A former Israeli diplomat has sharply criticized opposition leaders who refuse to cooperate with Arab-led parties, after those parties performed strongly in Israel's election. Alon Pinkas, a political analyst who once advised former Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Shimon Peres, described the reluctance as "myopic and reckless."

The election result has left the opposition facing a pressing question: will its leaders work with the Arab-led parties to assemble a government? Political observers are skeptical that any such partnership will take shape, given the unwillingness of several opposition figures to cooperate with them.

In an interview with Morning Edition, Pinkas laid out two possible paths for opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot. He could form a formal coalition with the parties, or he could set up a minority government that relies on their outside support. Under that second arrangement, the Arab-led parties would back major legislation and confidence votes without officially joining the coalition.

Neither option appears likely for now. Both Eisenkot and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have rejected working with the Arab-led parties, which draw much of their backing from Palestinian citizens of Israel. Netanyahu went further, calling the idea of a government that depends on their support "a shame and a disgrace."

Speaking with NPR's Steve Inskeep, Pinkas pushed back on the argument that leaning on Arab-led parties would erode Israel's identity as a Jewish state. He asked why the same logic is not applied to ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, which he said describe themselves as non-Zionist.

Pinkas also offered an explanation for the rise in support for Arab-led parties. He pointed to growing crime and murder rates in Arab communities, especially violence tied to organized crime groups. In his view, Netanyahu's government "willfully ignored their plight" by failing to send police into these communities or to investigate the killings.

Turning to the prime minister's prospects, Pinkas was emphatic. "Mr. Netanyahu cannot. I repeat, cannot form a government," he said.